Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Mild
- propulsive
- playful
- heightened
- action movie night
- car enthusiast gathering
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film's racing premise and automotive energy more compelling than its uneven dramatic material.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Takumi, Nakazato, Takahashi, and Team Emperor settle rivalries through mountain-road battles.
Takumi perfects mountain driving while making daily tofu deliveries and initially remains unaware of his own racing talent.
Takumi's old Toyota Trueno AE86 defeats faster, more powerful cars and later receives a racing-engine upgrade.
Mountain-pass races foreground drifting, acceleration, engine strain, and close competitive driving.
Films like Initial D, and why
The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift
street racing, drifting spectacle, youthful rivalry, and underground car culture
Redline
stylized automotive action, competitive driving, and high-energy youth subculture
Overdrive
teen coming-of-age drama blended with dangerous street racing and personal rivalry
Movie Details
- Directors
- Andrew Lau Wai-Keung, Alan Mak Siu-Fai
- Release Date
- 2005-05-12
- Runtime
- 109 min
- Rating
- 6.7 / 10 (315)
Cast
- Jay Chou
- Anne Suzuki
- Jordan Chan Siu-Chun
- Yue Man-lok
- Anthony Wong Chau-Sang
- Kenny Bee
- Chapman To Man-Chat
- Edison Chen
- Tsuyoshi Abe
- Liu Geng-Hong
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Hi-YAH, Hi-YAH Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Initial D about?
- A tofu-delivery teenager discovers extraordinary mountain-racing talent and becomes the target of increasingly dangerous street-racing rivalries.
- What is Initial D like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Initial D as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Initial D violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Initial D as mild.
- What did critics think of Initial D?
- Critics broadly found the film's racing premise and automotive energy more compelling than its uneven dramatic material.
- Which films are like Initial D?
- Films with a similar feel include The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, Redline, and Overdrive.
- How long is Initial D?
- Initial D runs 109 minutes.
- Where can I watch Initial D?
- In United States, Initial D streams on Hi-YAH, Hi-YAH Amazon Channel.
