Initial D: Driftracer Review

Initial D sees the directors and writer of the phenomenal Infernal Affairs trilogy reteaming with their brightest young stars to adapt one of Japan’s hottest mangas. The resulting street-race thrills will have petrolheads drooling with delight and everyone else scratching their heads. For a movie of its type it delivers in spades and provides just enough story — accidental hero takes on challenge of downhill racers — to fill up time between the hairpin-bend pursuits. The only real danger is a sense of over-familiarity with the Chemical Brothers-style ‘game’ music and repetitive replay races. Though less fetishistic about the cars themselves than, say, Gone In 60 Seconds, you can still sense Hollywood tuning up in the remake pit lane...