Shuto Kousoko Trial 3 (1991)

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The first movie in the ‘Shuto Kousoku Trial‘ series was banned from Japanese theaters for glamourizing illegal street racing. The popularity of the film on VHS showed there was a public appetite for more. To get a sequel into theatres, producers would have to make it clear that the moral of the story was street racing may be thrilling and exciting, but it’s dangerous and potentially deadly. It was similar to the restrictions Hollywood studios faced making hot rod flicks under the Hays Code (1930 to 1968) prohibiting scenes of excessive speed, reckless teenage driving, or behaviour promoting lawlessness.

The 1990 sequel, Megalopolis Expressway Trial 2, was absolutely terrible. A low-budget production made like a Hanna Barbera cartoon, with shots used over and over. Luckily, the third film in the series was a vast improvement, and definitely worth watching. Real-life Japanese racing driver Keiichi Tsuchiya (a technical advisor on F&F: Tokyo Drift) came on board as producer, and Megalopolis Expressway Trial 3 got a way bigger budget. And it shows! Creative cinematography and wild stunt sequences make this one a winner.

In this installment, the protagonist is Kyohei, a former street racer turned professional race car driver. He’s turned his life around and now competes with Keiichi Tsuchiya’s race team. Yet, the past still haunts him. In the opening cene, Kyohei is interviewed after a practice session at Fuji Speedway. Aggressive female reporter Miyuki initially fawns over Kyohei before hammering him with questions about his alleged involvement in the street racing death of a young woman on the Shuto Expressway years ago. For Kyohei, there is no escaping his past.

Then there’s Yusuke, the young protege of heroic Kyohei. He refuses to listen to advice to leave the world of street racing behind. His only goal is to beat Kyohei’s record on the Megalopolis Express. But Yusuke has some stiff competition in the form of a sinister black Toyota Supra prowling the streets. The antagonist driver is first shown hiding in a tunnel, like Jaws circling in the water, waiting to pounce on the inexperienced Yusuke.

The camera work in this movie really is a cut above. Zoom lenses focus on the Shuto Expressway in the distance, then pull back to reveal the protagonist standing at the entrance to a night club. Even when he isn’t racing, Kyohei’s mind is still on the road. Megalopolis Expressway Trial 2 features a lot of Japanese rock music of the era, significantly different that the CityPop from the first film. It even resembles a music video with it’s quick cuts and MTV style editing.

While training in the snowy mountains, Kyohei gets some terrible news. His little bro Yusuke was racing against the evil black Supra, and suffered a terrible crash. Yusuke has been blinded, and will never drive again (shades of ‘The Metamorphosis’ by Kafka). Just like a kung-fu revenge flick, Kyohei returns to the Megalopolis Express for one more race to avenge young Yusuke. The bad guy in the black Supra has been waiting for Kyohei. One final battle ensues, and the street racers nearly wreck as they cut through traffic. This isn’t a battle of speed and skill. Kyohei peers into the tinted windows of the sinister Supra to see it is being driven by young female reporter Miyuki! It was her sister that Kyohei killed all those years ago, and she’s out for blood.

There’s a bit of a pattern developing in these Japanese F&F flicks. Street racing is shown like an addiction. Even when a racer walks away from the car scene, he’s never really gone. His mind is always on street racing, and the Shuto Expressway itself serves as a character, her siren song drawing the racers closer to the edge.

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