Starting with the title, note that long before the first user comment was posted, someone had started in the message board below, on the subject of "drifting", a thread that has now grown to considerable length. Any reader interested in the subject should find it very useful.
"Initial D" brings back memories of an all-time classic in car racing, "Grand Prix" (1966), which boasted an impressive international cast including James Gardner, Ives Montand and Mifune Toshiro. Although both are about car racing, the two movies may very well be in two entirely different genres. "Grand Prix" is drama in epic proportion, "Initial D" a comic-adapted action comedy. I'm just saying that they are different and therefore difficult to compare, not one is better than the other.
I haven't enjoyed a local movie as much as I did "Initial D" since "The Storm Riders" and "The Mission" in the late 90s. (Never cared much for Stephen Chow, while the Infernal Affair trilogy has been marred by one too many, the last one that ran out of steam and tantamount to a rip off). The beauty of "Initial D" is that it is entirely devoid of pretentiousness. Well paced and giving you the feeling of reading the comics, the movie is also sprinkled with funny gags that are, mercifully, not insults to the audience's intelligence like some that you find in local productions. Some may find the turn of the romantic subplot unsatisfactory but that only goes to show that the movie makers have not gone all out to make a crowd-pleaser. The emphasis is rightly put back on the theme, car racing.
Casting is more than just a good job. The chemistry between the pair of veterans Anthony Wong and Kenny Bee is just fantastic. The "Infernal" pair, Edison Chen and Shawn Yue, continue their maturing process that was very evident in "Gong Wu". Yue gives a winning portray of a gentlemanly competitor, while Chen never looks better with his poise as a leader. Chapman To's comic relief is pleasing. Jordan Chan, even with his brief appearance, shows great screen presence. (This guy is good on stage, if you've seen him in live theatre). Anne Suzuki has come a long way from the tom boy in "Returner", shed some of the chubbiness in "Hana and Alice", and takes on a new persona of youthful voluptuousness.
As to Jay Chow, the directors intimated in various radio interviews that the main character was initially intended for Edison Chen. Then, in a checking-out meeting with Chow, they were convinced that they have got the right man who can project the shy, introvert appearance and the intensely fierce competitiveness inside. The result, upon seeing the movie, convincingly vindicates that decision. In these interviews, they also talked about the actual filming. It's interesting to hear that at the initial planning stage, 120 shots on the race (those with drifting in particular) were planned to be made with CG assistance. But as the filming on-site progressed, they found that the stunt people hired to drive the cars were so good that most of these shots did not need any CG (114 to be exact). So we have a film that is NOT a repeat of the animation when it comes to the racing scenes. When ask who among the cast actually is the best driver, the answers is: Shawn Yue.
What I also like about this movie is that despite fierce competition, there is no villain. In flicks on boxing, you would often find use of dirty tricks or hitting below the belt. In "Initial D", even when some opponents are obnoxious, the competition is entirely clean and fair. This is good. Did I mention the racing scenes? Terrific fun, with music to match.
"Initial D" brings back memories of an all-time classic in car racing, "Grand Prix" (1966), which boasted an impressive international cast including James Gardner, Ives Montand and Mifune Toshiro. Although both are about car racing, the two movies may very well be in two entirely different genres. "Grand Prix" is drama in epic proportion, "Initial D" a comic-adapted action comedy. I'm just saying that they are different and therefore difficult to compare, not one is better than the other.
I haven't enjoyed a local movie as much as I did "Initial D" since "The Storm Riders" and "The Mission" in the late 90s. (Never cared much for Stephen Chow, while the Infernal Affair trilogy has been marred by one too many, the last one that ran out of steam and tantamount to a rip off). The beauty of "Initial D" is that it is entirely devoid of pretentiousness. Well paced and giving you the feeling of reading the comics, the movie is also sprinkled with funny gags that are, mercifully, not insults to the audience's intelligence like some that you find in local productions. Some may find the turn of the romantic subplot unsatisfactory but that only goes to show that the movie makers have not gone all out to make a crowd-pleaser. The emphasis is rightly put back on the theme, car racing.
Casting is more than just a good job. The chemistry between the pair of veterans Anthony Wong and Kenny Bee is just fantastic. The "Infernal" pair, Edison Chen and Shawn Yue, continue their maturing process that was very evident in "Gong Wu". Yue gives a winning portray of a gentlemanly competitor, while Chen never looks better with his poise as a leader. Chapman To's comic relief is pleasing. Jordan Chan, even with his brief appearance, shows great screen presence. (This guy is good on stage, if you've seen him in live theatre). Anne Suzuki has come a long way from the tom boy in "Returner", shed some of the chubbiness in "Hana and Alice", and takes on a new persona of youthful voluptuousness.
As to Jay Chow, the directors intimated in various radio interviews that the main character was initially intended for Edison Chen. Then, in a checking-out meeting with Chow, they were convinced that they have got the right man who can project the shy, introvert appearance and the intensely fierce competitiveness inside. The result, upon seeing the movie, convincingly vindicates that decision. In these interviews, they also talked about the actual filming. It's interesting to hear that at the initial planning stage, 120 shots on the race (those with drifting in particular) were planned to be made with CG assistance. But as the filming on-site progressed, they found that the stunt people hired to drive the cars were so good that most of these shots did not need any CG (114 to be exact). So we have a film that is NOT a repeat of the animation when it comes to the racing scenes. When ask who among the cast actually is the best driver, the answers is: Shawn Yue.
What I also like about this movie is that despite fierce competition, there is no villain. In flicks on boxing, you would often find use of dirty tricks or hitting below the belt. In "Initial D", even when some opponents are obnoxious, the competition is entirely clean and fair. This is good. Did I mention the racing scenes? Terrific fun, with music to match.