Fast and Furious: 1.6 out of 5… Which is the worst movie in the saga?

In theaters May 17, Fast X tells the story of the Toretto family’s new adventure, still directed by Vin Diesel. The latter faces a new adversary, both insane and dangerous: Jason Momoa, aka Dante Reyes.

Of the 10 parts of the F&F saga, which received the worst press ratings? No wonder the 3rd opus in the franchise is the least appreciated with a very salty rating of 1.6 stars out of 5! (average of 13 press reviews)

Released in 2006, the 3rd episode titled Fast and Furious Tokyo Drift introduces Sean Boswell’s character played by Lucas Black. The latter is a daredevil whose extreme passion for modified sports cars has already landed him in serious trouble with the California police.

Convicted after an accident, his only alternative to prison is to accept the guardianship of his father, a career soldier, in Tokyo. Gaijin (Foreigner) In the world’s hippest and sexiest city, a young man feels more outcast than ever until his new friend Twink introduces him to the secret world of drifting – the ultimate ultra-urban rodeo.

A stealth sport where boldness, elegance and driving fluidity are valued more than mere speed. Sean is immediately embraced: his rebellious lifestyle found its perfect expression in drifting, in his dangerous crimes, in his constant defiance of the laws of physics.

After two installments released in 2001 and 2003, the franchise tried to renew itself by leaving 2 of its headliners: Vin Diesel and Paul Walker. He took it badly.

Strong criticism

“The interest in making a full movie of this custom (Drift) is not immediately apparent in the vision for a third film.”writes Le Monde.

The (heartbreaking) outcome doesn’t seem to change from episode to episode.Hammered by Les Inrocks. “The movie quickly turns out to be disjointed, poorly acted and repetitive, sending FF3 to the scrap heap”estimated score.

“The fact that it’s happening this time in Tokyo and glorifying drift (the art of controlled gliding) in no way diminishes the impression of deja vu.”In turn criticized TéléCinéObs.

For the film team directed by Justin Lin, filming the 3rd part of the Fast and Furious saga required updating certain elements to avoid repetition. Thus, Tokyo Drift made it possible to explore new horizons and also introduce a fascinating sport: drifting.

We wouldn’t have made Fast & Furious 3 without a strong, original script. One day our team came to discuss a new style of racing born in Tokyo called “Drifting”. I was fascinated by the hidden films taken during these races. I thought it deserved a movie. I was satisfied with the final result”The franchise’s storied producer Neal Moritz emphasized.

Drift like never before

As a reminder, drifting, the dangerous practice of car racing, is a very popular sport in Japan. Film director Justin Lin talked about this phenomenon in the Land of the Rising Sun:

“I didn’t know the drift rituals when I attacked this project. I discovered that it was the invention of youth gangs of popular origin who came from the mountainous regions of Japan where the roads are extremely steep. “Sport was everything. About trying to take them down as quickly as possible. Later, the phenomenon spread to the streets of Tokyo. Visually, it makes for a fascinating sight.”he explained.

This 3rd episode was a complete critical and commercial failure, grossing only $158 million worldwide for an $85 million budget. This failure convinced the producer to immediately bring back Paul Walker and Vin Diesel for a more action-oriented Episode 4, which set the stage for a new direction for the saga. Success this time will be in the bag of 360 million dollars for the same budget as Tokyo Drift.