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Director: Corey Yuen
Release Date: October 11, 2002
Rating: PG-13 for (for violent sequences and some sensuality).
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When I walk into a movie knowing that it was written by Luc Besson, the same writer of The Professional, I expect a lot. Having new seen this movie, I felt I should go and rent The Professional just so the writer could redeem himself in my eyes.
 The problem with most fighting-centered movies is that's what they are: fighting-centered. This leaves the average movie watcher thirsting for plot and instead given a punch in the face. The Transporter follows the path paved by many fighting movies offering some visually stunning fight sequences and using lame acting, cheesy dialogue, and recycled plot to fill in the rest of time.
Jason Statham (Snatch and Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels) plays "The Transporter". He has made of career out of making sure unopened packages make it to specified destinations on time. He has a few rules that he works by including "Never open the package". His life takes a turn for the worst when he finally opens one of his packages because it refuses to stop kicking and screaming. Out pops an Asian cutie that should probably be named "Trouble".
Its not until after the first 30 minutes of Statham driving recklessly throughout some nameless French city, beating the hell out of house full of gun-carrying thugs, and falls in love with his previously kidnapped, Asian friend that viewers begin to realize the plot to this movie reaches all new levels silliness. I mean it has more holes in it then Statham's house after he and kidnapped-Asian-chick-turned-girlfriend escape a fiery death from rocket launchers.
Cool fighting though
If we lived in the world where most action movies would like us to live that requires us all to be brain dead and notice that movies have little or no plot, The Transporter is a great movie.
One of the great aspects of kung-fu is that the experts use virtually anything in their environment as a weapon - A door, a shirt, etc. While this doesn't hit close to home with most people when fight scenes are in the middle of the desert, those that take place in the city are always entertaining. It makes the viewer think, "Wow, I had no idea my drawer of spoons could have been used like that." The Transporter shows us how take care of seven guys with pipes that have you surrounding in a bus and then how to take care of a seven-foot-plus giant while he and you are slipping all over the place due to being covered in oil. The choreography in these new, innovative scenarios is top quality.
You may have thought that I've given away too much of the plot, but you're wrong. If I actually gave away the predictable plot, you may be too disgusted to want to see it. If you see movies purely for the action, The Transporter is another notch on your action movie belt. If you need a little more substance in your movies, then don't waste your time.
Related links:
The Transporter Official Site |
