Initial D
An exciting, often funny live-action adaptation of the popular Japanese comic book and anime series,Initial Dcomes across likeRebel Without a Causewith a slight superhero twist. Starring a largely Chinese cast led by Taiwanese music star Jay Chou, and made by the co-directors ofInfernal 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 Dis a fine entry in the racing genre, seasoned with snappy comic relief.--Tom Keogh