Initial D
by Ralph Rieckermann, Siu Fai Mak, Wai-keung Lau
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Anthony Wong Chau-Sang, Chapman To, Edison Chen, Jay Chou, Shawn YueDirector: Ralph Rieckermann, Siu Fai Mak, Wai-keung Lau
Producer: Charlie Hau
Producer: Ellen Chang
Producer: John Chong
Writer: Felix Chong
Writer: Shuichi Shigeno
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: Cantonese (Original Language); English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 5.1; Chinese (Subtitled); English (Subtitled)
Format: Collector's Edition, Color, Dolby, DTS Surround Sound, DVD-Video, NTSC, Special Edition, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 107 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2006-01-24
Audience Rating: Unrated
Studio: Tai Seng
Movie Reviews of Initial D
Movie Review: Clear Your Mind of the Anime Before Watching
Summary: 2 Stars
I'm not a car fan, nor a racing fan, but when I stumbled upon the anime, I loved it. So, even though I knew the live action film wouldn't be the same, I still looked forward to seeing it. As I have never read the manga, any comparisons I make are between the anime and the live action versions.
Like any movie that is adapted from another souce, they made changes, some significant - Bunta, Takumi's father is a womanizing alcoholic who abuses his son, and Itsuki is a braggard,, rather than the nerdy side kick - both revisions did not appeal to me. On the other hand, Jay Chou, who plays Takumi, did an excellent job of projecting the personality of the character in the anime, and which is part of the appeal for the story - a kid who doesn't know or like cars is a better racer than those obsessed by cars - and then finds focus in his life by racing.
I think the problem with this film is that it tries to do too much. This is worse for viewers familiar with the anime or manga because character and racing development takes place in leaps, rather than steps. Even for viewers who come in with no knowledge of the characters, sometimes you wonder where they are coming from - and basically, I think it comes from trying to imitate the major points from the original story without spending the time to develop it. On the other hand, the movie does revise characters' personalities and histories, so it is also trying to add some original touches. In the end, the movie is neither original, nor a faithful adaptation for the hard-core anime fans.
For me, the movie itself is a two star rating, but might be a 2 1/2 for those who give higher priority to visual racing scenes, or three for those not familiar with the anime - but as far as the Amazon rating stars, it still gets two because, as other reviews have stated, those trailers in the beginning are really annoying. Not only did I spend some extra time trying to skip past the trailers, but when the movie finally started, I realized that I forgot to set the sub-titles and had to sit through the trailers again. If you are going to watch this movie, make sure to see it in one sitting - it's just not worth having to sit through the trailers just to get to the movie and then getting to the point you left off at.
Summary of Initial D
From the acclaimed director of INFERNAL AFFAIRS and THE STORMRIDERS, Andrew Lau, comes this live-action spectacular about the furious streetcar sport of "Drifting". INITIAL D raced its way to the very top of the Hong Kong's summer box office and is based on one of Japan's most popular manga. For 5 years, 18 year-old Takumi (Taiwan musical phenom Jay Chou in his big screen debut) has delivered tofu orders for his ex-racecar driving father (Anthony Wong). By night, Takumi ups the velocity and screeches his way around the dark slopes and narrow curves of the hills surrounding his home, perfecting the dangerous art of "Drifting". So fasten your seat belt and feel the adrenaline pumping full throttle as INITIAL D unleashes a new generation of racers...where speed alone is just not enough.An exciting, often funny live-action adaptation of the popular Japanese comic book and anime series, Initial D comes across like Rebel Without a Cause with a slight superhero twist. Starring a largely Chinese cast led by Taiwanese music star Jay Chou, and made by the co-directors of Infernal Affairs, Wai Keung Lau and Siu Fai Mak, Initial D (a huge hit in Japan) is the story of Takumi (Chou), the reserved, adolescent son of a former racing champion turned tofu maker (Anthony Wong). Since his mother's recent death, Takumi has been on the receiving end of his father's frustrations, causing him to withdraw and tell no one that in the wee hours, while he's delivering tofu to his dad's sleeping customers, Takumi's secretly mastering the art of "drifting," a form of racing that gives a driver an advantage on curving roads. Pressured into competing with aggressive street racers looking for a bout, Takumi comes out into the open about his skill, leading to a renewal of his relationship with his dad and an unexpected collision with the girl (Anne Suzuki) he loves. A visual treat that keeps finding novel ways of shooting multiple challenges between the same drivers over the same road on pitch-black nights, Initial D is a fine entry in the racing genre, seasoned with snappy comic relief. --Tom Keogh
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