Initial D (2005)

OK so if you are a fan of the anime then you probably wont like this. The racing in this film is OK but I'm biased due to the anime and the film doesn't get no where near the level they do in the anime.The storyline is trying to combine series 1-3 into the film and has left several key plot elements out to obtain this. For example half the characters are missing like Keisuke Takahashi (one of the main characters in the anime). Even some of the personalities have been changed like Bunta (Takumi's dad) he is just a drunk 24/7 who beats Takumi.Overall i think this film fails to capture reasons why people watched the anime in the first place, like the epic racing intense storyline, suspense and rush created in the anime.

Overall, I'll have to say right off the bat that as a fan of the original anime I found it somewhat amusing.There are a few things that the movie does right. The camera angles and the overall feel of the movie was spot-on to the original source material. A particular highlight was the "zoom-in-on-the-eyes" of the loser in one particular race. This was exactly like the anime, and was a great touch.People might slam Jay Chou, but I thought he did a good job in this. It's rather hard to screw up a character who is generally bored and half-asleep (as he is portrayed in the anime).There are a lot of small changes here and there, such as Bunta being a drunkard for comedy relief, and the complete lack of Keisuke (his character was combined with Nakazato). Or the fact that the anime Nakazato drove the 4WD GT-R model of Skyline, and did not drift. I won't touch on these in detail, as they didn't really bother me that much.However, the biggest element lacking in this is the music! Inital D fans know that Initial D is known for it's high energy dance-style J-pop music. Considering there are at least 10 Initial D soundtrack CD's out in Japan, I can't believe they didn't realize how popular the music is.The music in the film is best described as "Chinese rap/R&B" I guess, which really hurt the feel of the movie in my opinion.As synonymous the anime is with the music, I can't help but think what it would be without it. We'd be left with scenes of car racing with cheesy dialog, intertwined with brief romance scenes. Which now that I think of it, pretty much sums up this film.If they were to make an Initial D anime series with music similar to this movie's soundtrack, I wonder if I would like it as much.I just might feel the same way about it as I do this movie, in that it's a nice reminiscent film somewhat faithful to the original, but nothing to get really excited about.If you're not a fan of Inital D or of import racing, there's not much for you here.

That's about it. The race scenes were shot pretty decently. They grip the viewers at the edge of their seat. The songs by Jay Chow are pretty good. The movie is funny. It was set and filmed in Japan, yet all the dialogue were in Cantonese. What else is there to say? Jay Chow was pretty good for his first starring role. He gave a believable performance. Anthony Wong is his same reliable self and Chapman To again provides comic relieve (seems like he is typecast now).The movie did not follow its inspiration, the manga. Even though Jay Chow's character is low-key and mild-mannered already, in the manga the character is even more mild-mannered and even less intense. In the manga, the dad seemed to be more responsible and nicer. That does not matter though, because the races are entertaining enough. That is one of two reason why people pack the theaters to see it. The other reason? Jay Chow. Do not underestimate his draw power. This guy is an idol in Asia. Whatever he do is gold.This film is made for entertainment purposes. No depth. No plot. Just watch it and have a good time.7/10, because it is entertaining. Take that out, a 4.

I haven't read any Initial D manga, and frankly, hadn't heard of it until a friend asked to watch this movie, thus cannot comment on the accuracy of the story. But after watching the movie for the 10th time, I can freely say the movie is a must-see for car lovers, and goes beyond Hollywood fake races, which makes speed and fancy cars seem more important than the driver's ability. The actors did a great job, too, specially Bunta Fujiwara (Takumi's father), who plays hilarious scenes. Not to mention the Soundtrack, which is great add to the competition scenes.