Initial D 3rd Stage: The Movie

[Freeter]

This movie's about one thing and one thing only: RACING. From start to finish, you'll know that the 3D cars are the real stars of the show.

The film has some subplots, like the melodrama between the main guy and his girl, but they take a backseat to all the racing action, which is done in CG but mixed with 2D backgrounds.

The character designs are...fugly. I really wish everyone didn't have the same emotionless, stoic face. No matter what the scenario, everyone looks bored out of their skulls. Even the early sketches in the "Making of" feature were more expressionistic. Not to mention that several of the guys share the same haircut with the main guy Takumi, making it easy to confuse him with others in certain scenes.

But as I said, this movie is all about the racing. Don't go in expecting some grand love story or an epic adventure. If you love the speed, then you'll like this.

[Red Hair]

How dare you put "2Fast 2 Furious" as the description.

[Freeter]

Would you have preferred "Driven" instead?

[Red Hair]

Days of Thunder would've been better! Alright nevermind.

[Ashen Victor]

i'm not a diehard racing fan, but i really thought 3rd Stage would have been good. it wasn't. mind you, i've never seen the show or any of the previous movies so i'm totally oblivious to any of the backstories of the characters. the racing was fine though, but overall the movie was boring. i caught myself sleeping during the middle of the race between the Eight-Six and the Toyota (second battle i believe?).

i dunno, some of it was good, but the majority was just whatever. i think that if i got into the series, i'd appreciate 3rd Stage more. i went to see it because i was all like "it's racing, it's going to be great!" but then it ended up that it was really the only other premiere that i hadn't seen at the BAAF yet (excluding A Tree of Palme, and with Nasu and the Sensualist being the two that had already played but with no repeat viewings).

maybe if i got into the show i'd appreciate it more? but yea, the racing was more or less the only thing to see 3rd Stage for.

[SHiNgO]

Just think of it this way... First season is First STAGE, second season is Second STAGE, and the movie was THIRD STAGE... they shortened up a story which would of been the third season into a movie. Meaning, if you didn't watch Initial D before, the first race especially wouldnt seem as interesting.. since there's a history behind is and of course the characters too. I watched the movie before and I really thought it was pretty good..

[Ashen Victor]

the movie is boring. some of the comedy was pretty funny, the racing (again) was good, but the majority was boring. besides the races, the section where Takumi went to save the chick was probably the only good thing about it (and the christmas bit where she went to go visit him, that was sweet). i don't think it was totally bad, but it certainly wasn't all that good. gets about a C+ if i were to grade it. maybe higher if i watched everything before it.

and i don't know if it's just me that thinks it, but there's a whole lot of hidden gay going on in there. i dunno, i'm just saying...

[negitoro]

If you watch 3rd Stage on it's own, I doubt you'll become attached to it.

Without the full backstory and an interest in the characters, the highly compressed nature of the movie doesn't do much to draw you in.

Personally, I like the movie... but I wish they made it into a series (like 6 eps) rather than a 2 hour movie.