the film is not considered a part of or canonical within The Fast and the Furious franchise by Universal Pictures despite related names or characters. Articles referring to specific elements revisited in Better Luck Tomorrow are to be kept separate in The Fast and the Furious-related articles until canonicity status changes, if ever.
- "You ladies ready?"
- ―Han Lue to Ben and Virgil[1]
Han Lue[1] is a supporting character in Justin Lin's Better Luck Tomorrow.
Biography
Han Lue is the cousin of Virgil Hu and friend of Ben Maibag. A petty thief, he often collaborated with Virgil to steal electronics and whatever else he could get his hands on as a way of breaking the Model Minority image the populace assumed of them.
Using his cousin and Ben, they bought items from the store and afterward, using inventory stickers, used items they didn't buy the store to refund the money spent on the credit card to avoid the suspicion of their parents. As a result, they made back money, half of which Ben kept in a box for safekeeping. Ben often described Han as Virgil's opposite.
A high school senior, Han collaborates with Ben and Virgil, who work with Deric Loo (the senior valedictorian of the their high school and president of every club available to them), in a school-wide cheat sheet operation.
Han and the others make money off of students willing to cheat their way to a higher score on their tests and a better GPA. Members of the Academic Decathlon team, Han, Ben and Virgil's meetings at Deric Loo's house devolves into drinking parties, Han consuming single bottles of alcohol before lighting cigarettes right after them.
When the pressure to maintain their small, but profitable criminal life becomes too much for Ben, Ben and Deric decide to quit. Han and the Virgil allow him to depart from their company, but continue with the scheme. It isn't before long that Han's cousin ruins things for them by reporting their business around the school. They were caught by the school, Han is forced to take the blame and their operation was busted. Angry, Han beat his cousin with his belt as a way of punishing him.
They later head for the Academic Decathlon championships in Los Angeles. Following their participation in the championship, they retire to their hotel. Deric decided to hire a prostitute, who is willing to have sex with all four of them. Han and Deric are the first to sleep with her, followed by Ben.
When Virgil gets the chance to sleep with her, he threatens her with a gun. Furious, the prostitute decides to leave. Embarrassed by his cousin's actions, Han gives her more than the amount she was owed. After she leaves, Han attempts to beat his cousin again, but Virgil threatens him with the gun he hid in his underwear. A gun to his forehead, Han reluctantly backs down from his cousin and leaves their hotel.
Following the incident and the winter formal, Ben gathers Han and the others to participate in Steve Choe's attempt to rob his parents as a way of teaching them a lesson by way of a "wake up call". Neither Han or Ben agree with the idea, but Deric is eager to "help" Steve, desperate to teach him a lesson. Reluctantly, they agree to the idea and work to memorize Steve's plan, buying a gun for him as well.
On New Years Eve, they meet at their friend Jesus's house and use Ben as their look out. Han, Virgil and Deric lock Steve in the garage and attack him. Ben eventually enters the garage and uses a bat to beat Steve to death. They end up burying Steve's body in Jesus's background and go their separate ways.
Han is invited to Virgil's home to "watch pornography". Han arrives to the house just as Virgil shoots himself in the head, unable to live with the guilt of killing Steve. Han, believing his cousin was playing games, demands that Virgil open his bedroom door.
He eventually breaks into the room and has his brother hospitalized for the gunshot wound. When Deric arrives a the hospital and visits Virgil's hospital room, Han asked that Ben remove Deric from the room before he "beat the shit out of him". While Deric is afraid Han and Virgil will go to the cops about what happened with Steve, neither Han or Virgil ever speak about the incident again. At the end of the school year, Han has shaved his head and appears to for the school photo op.
Characteristics
Personality
Han Lue is a relatively stoic young man, with little outward love for his cousin Virgil. According to Ben, Han often beats Virgil whenever he feels like it and doesn't necessarily ever need a reason to. While his outward behavior demonstrates callousness and a lack of care, Han does love his cousin and does not take kindly to anyone speaking ill of him.
Han is also a noted chain smoker, lighting a cigarette every time he finishes another. He is rarely ever seen without a cigarette in his mouth as a result.
Han often participate in minor and major crimes in and out of school as form of entertainment. Han often participates in Ben and Virgil's schemes out of boredom, with no real desire to be wealthy, and appears largely unbothered by assumptions people make about him based on his race despite the participation in Deric Loo's cheating scheme.
Connection to The Fast and the Furious franchise
Justin Lin's 2002 film, Better Luck Tomorrow, is not considered an official film in The Fast and the Furious franchise by Universal Pictures. However, Han Lue's actor, Sung Kang, appears in three of the eight feature films, and one short film as a character named "Han" Seoul-Oh, all of them directed by Justin Lin.
In Fast Five, it's suggested from Han's copious eating habits and observed by Gisele Yashar, that Han was once a smoker and that he that eats to keep his hands occupied. The observation is meant to be an Easter egg for those who watched Better Luck Tomorrow. Han Seoul-Oh was originally meant to be a smoker by way of referencing the Han Lue character. However, Universal Pictures would not allow the character smoke in their PG-13 film franchise[2], thus Lin resorted to having Sung Kang's character be seen constantly eating.
Additionally, Virgil's actor, Jason Tobin, appears in The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, as one of Han Seoul-Oh's friends, Earl.[3]
Both Sung Kang and Justin Lin believe Han Lue and Han Seoul-Oh are the same character.[4][5] As a result, it is largely accepted by the franchise's fanbase that Han Lue and Han Seoul-Oh are canonically one and the same.[2]
Trivia
- Han Lue drives a red 1965 Ford Mustang.[6]