The Transporter (2002) Reviews

• colorful action picture

  Buddy-512002-10-27

  `The Transporter' is pretty good for what it is - a sleek, slick, high-octane action thriller that couldn't possibly expect us to believe anything we are seeing on screen and, quite frankly, doesn't care that we don't. That attitude is probably all for the best in this case, since it allows the filmmakers to devise elaborate action and stunt sequences without having to pay the slightest heed to that fantasy killjoy known as `credibility.' Jason Statham literally drips attitude as The Transporter, a stolid, nattily dressed former military man who spends his time delivering packages (no questions asked) all over the French Mediterranean for what turn out to be some pretty shady criminal clients. One day he discovers that the `package' he is to deliver happens to be a human being - a pretty young Chinese girl named Lai Kwan who has been dropped, bound and gagged, into the trunk of the sporty car on which he lavishes most, if not all, of the love and caring he has to offer. Yet, Frank turns out, despite his initial air of callous and self-serving indifference, to be a criminal-type with a heart of gold, and he is soon helping Ms. Kwan foil an attempt by her nefarious father to sell a crate load of Chinese immigrants into slavery. However, the plot is the least of the matter when it comes to a movie like `The Transporter.' This film is far more concerned with attitude and style than it is with its storyline, which exists merely as a vehicle on which to hang all the explosions, car chases and kickboxing fight scenes that have become the stock-in-trade for modern action pictures. The movie is well directed, well edited and quite beautifully photographed by cinematographer Pierre Morel, who gives the film's French Riviera setting a bright, sparkling sheen. In fact, Morel's camerawork here is some of the best I have seen in a film in a very long time. In addition to Statham, who makes for a very `cool' action film hero, Francois Berleand turns in a wonderful performance as a shrewd, wisecracking police inspector who knows that Frank is up to something but who has enough faith in his own instincts to at least give the man the benefit of the doubt. Qi Shu is cute and charming as the uninvited and unwelcome `complication' that steps into Frank's smooth-running, well-ordered life. `The Transporter' is the cinematic equivalent of junk fast food - not high in nutritional value, but quickly consumed and satisfying when you don't have the time or inclination for something more demanding. Like its cool-under-pressure protagonist, the film delivers the goods.

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• An excellent action movie!

  Rooster992003-05-12

  All action movies should strive to be this imaginative! OK, the plot was not particularly intriguing, but what action movie's actually is? But the plot was secondary to the action, it only served to make the bad guys bad and the good guys good. The rest was up to Jason Statham's considerable fighting talents. There were some unbelievable yet jaw-dropping stunts, a terrific fight scene in oil, and some great car chase scenes. There were no smarmy one-liners making light of good action sequences as is too often the case in American-directed action flicks. The hero was cold, yet compassionate. He didn't kill unnecessarily, but when he had to, he was ruthless. There are many great action sequences, some so unbelievable you have to just shake your head and remember that action movies are not supposed to be based on reality. There is even a great shot of the hero jumping off a speeding semi while it races over a bridge onto the back of a bus going perpendicular to the truck under the bridge!! I mean, come on! It would never happen, but I have to give credit to the stunt coordinator who imagined the possibilities. There is another hilarious scene where the hero chases down an airplane on foot, hijacks it, jumps out of the plane at great altitude in order to land on the back of a speeding transport with a conveniently located borrowed parachute! I am glad all crop dusters carry such indispensable equipment and that it is so easy to land on the back of a truck speeding down the highway at 130 KM/hour. All in all, 90 minutes of sheer enjoyment. Even with the predictable ending, I have to highly recommend this movie. If you can suspend belief for a little while, you will be rewarded.

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• Statham & Style Elevate The Action

  ccthemovieman-12006-06-18

  I still rate this pretty high even if the last 10 minutes got totally out of hand and went crazy, action-wise. By "out-of-hand," I mainly refer to the usual excessive action and bad guys-keep-missing-good guys-even-from-short range-type mentality. Actually, a lot of the film is that but it's such a fun movie that I didn't care. Jason Statham is very cool in the lead and it's he that makes this a decent film. I also enjoyed Shu Qi, a very pretty woman; the witty dialog of Francois Berleand and some stylish, tongue-in-cheek directing by Louis Leterrier and Corey Yuen. Another director whose films are known for their hip styles also co- wrote this: Luc Besson. Some of the action scenes are outrageous. To Statham's credit, he did most of the action scenes himself. I guess he's a tough guy in real life, too. He's pretty amazing. A no-brainer-but lots of fun movie.

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• Jason Statham action star.

  Captain_Couth2005-08-27

  The Transporter (2002) was a fun action film that was directed by Jet Li's fight director Corey Yuen and it starred Jason Statham. Jason stars as Frank Martin. He's a hired gin who does driving jobs for a hefty fee. For his services he'll use his superb driving skills to get his paying customers out of a jam. He asks no questions and needs precise instruction in order to perfectly time his getaways. His number one rule is to never ask questions. One day he takes a gig from a sleazy and shady man named Betancourt (Matt Schulze). Instead of delivering the goods, he breaks his number one rule and peeks inside the package... A fun action film filled with bone breaking action and wild stunts. People have unfairly slammed this movie for being unrealistic. What do you expect? The action scenes are performed to flamboyant ans stylized you have to suspend belief. It's one of those movies that doesn't throw in realism all of a sudden to make the movie more interesting. Jason Statham is pretty cool as well as the Transporter and he seems legit, not another tough guy phony. HE looks like he can knock the tar out of you in a real fight. Co-stars Shu Qi (she learned to speak English phonetically for her role in this movie). Highly recommended.

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• Starts at 80 degrees, ends at 20 below zero

  TimBoHannon2007-03-04

  Meet Frank Martin. Martin (Jason Statham) is a retired British Special Forces officer currently enjoying retirement in France. Well, sort of retirement. Frank actually makes his living by transporting goods or people from one location to another. His services have made him a millionaire many times over, evidenced by his oceanview palace. The two-tower structure comes complete with fancy gates, a brick driveway, a garden, two kitchens and even an elevator. In his pristine garage resides the only love of his life, a perfect BMW. His services come with three rules: the deal never changes, no names, and never look in the package. The movie begins when Martin arrives with perfect punctuality outside of the world's richest bank. He is to whisk three robbers to safety, but four emerge. Citing rule number one, Martin refuses to leave and calmly explains why he cannot carry four men. The lead robber puts a gun to his head, but without the ignition code, he cannot drive. Checkmate. The panicking leader executes the fourth man. Martin starts the car and is pursued by police in a wild chase through busy streets and narrow alleyways. Dodging and swerving his way to safety, Martin outsmarts the police in the film's high point. This car pursuit has drawn comparisons to a similar scene in The Bourne Identity. The movie only rests for little while, and then it is on to his next job. His contact explains the job, then says, "It is for a man named..." "No names," Martin interrupts, reiterating his strict adherence to the rules. The client's name is Wall Street, I suppose, since he is only addressed with pronouns. The cargo is large bag to be fit in his trunk. While tending to a flat tire on the way, he notices his "cargo" squirming. Curiosity gets the best of him, and he discovers a hopelessly bound girl (Qi Shu) with her mouth sealed shut as well. He has no sympathy and completes the deal, but when his customers double cross him, he enacts revenge and the hostage ends up in his home. The girl, Lai, is grateful for the help and stays with him though she is free to leave. However, her former captors are not too happy with her current quarters. 5,000 bullets later, she informs Martin that she was smuggled in from China as part of a human slavery operation and many more will follow. Up until this point, the film is performing admirably, but once it's second half commences, the wheels begin to fall off one by one. The chemistry existing between Statham and Shu in the first act quickly evaporates. Not even the discovery of Martin's conscience works. We are led to believe that Lai's father (Ric Young) is one of the slaves, but we later find out that he is the mastermind behind the operation. This new discovery throws into question why Lai was in the bag in the first place, and raises many other questions as well. The film never gives its audience the courtesy of answering those questions, and it feels as if Luc Besson is making it up as he goes. The action also goes down the toilet. It mostly consists of Frank being confronted by a group of ruffians and knocking them to the floor. Each man rises up to fight again, and every time he has them beaten more henchmen appear and join the fray. His reluctance to use lethal force is astounding. The invulnerability of every character completely undermines the effectiveness of everything the film wants to do, and reduces it to the level of Beverly Hills Ninja. The climax involves Frank parachuting onto to a semi-truck in an attempt to commandeer it. It is boring, and reminded me of how much more I enjoyed the semi-truck chase in License to Kill. Statham flourishes as the amoral Martin and Qi Shu fares well as the confused and vulnerable young girl in strange surroundings. Francois Berleand is satisfactory as a friendly but suspicious detective, but has no interesting material. Matt Schulze falls flat in embarrassing fashion with his lifeless treatment of Wall Street. Ric Young is equally bad. Even Shu, who probably set the record for time being bound on camera, becomes a drone in the second half. Cory Yuen is better than this. Luc Besson is better than this. Moviegoers deserve more than an action film that slowly destroys itself. The first half warrants a good score, but what follows is so putrid that The Transporter rates only a four out of ten.

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