The Transporter (2002)

User Rating:

6.6/10   

Director:

Corey Yuen

Writers (WGA):

Luc Besson (written by) &
Robert Mark Kamen (written by)

Release Date:

11 October 2002 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Crime | Thriller

Tagline:

Rules are made to be broken

Plot:

This film is about a man (Statham) whose job is to deliver packages without asking any questions. Complications arise when he breaks those rules.

Plot Keywords:

France | Stabbed In The Hand | Telephone | Airplane | Duffel Bag

Cast

Jason Statham	...	Frank Martin
Qi Shu	...	Lai (as Shu Qi)
Matt Schulze	...	Wall Street
François Berléand	...	Inspector Tarconi
Ric Young	...	Mr. Kwai
Doug Rand	...	Leader
Didier Saint Melin	...	Boss
Tonio Descanvelle	...	Thug 1
Laurent Desponds	...	Thug 2
Matthieu Albertini	...	Thug 3
Vincent Nemeth	...	Pilot
Jean-Yves Bilien	...	Little Thug
Jean-Marie Paris	...	Giant Thug
Adrian Dearnell	...	Newscaster
Alfred Lot	...	Cop 1

Also Known As:

Le transporteur (France)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for violent sequences and some sensuality.

Runtime:

92 min

Country:

France | USA

Language:

English | French | Mandarin

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS-ES | Dolby Digital EX

Certification:

Hong Kong:IIA | Malaysia:18SG | Finland:K-15 | Iceland:14 (original rating) | Iceland:16 (video rating) | India:A (cinema release) | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Brazil:12 | Canada:14A | Czech Republic:12 | France:U | Germany:16 | Ireland:15 | New Zealand:R16 | Norway:15 | Peru:14 | Philippines:PG-13 | Singapore:PG | South Korea:15 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:PG-13 | Indonesia:Dewasa

Filming Locations:

Avenue de Saissy, Cannes, Alpes-Maritimes, France

Company:

Europa Corp.

Trivia:

The "ignition code" for Frank's BMW is 1732.

Goofs:

Factual errors: During the airplane / truck chase, the plane is very low in one shot and the next they are high enough for Frank to sky dive. There is no way that Cessna could climb that fast.

Quotes:

[Lai has gun on Wall Street]
Lai: Ten seconds, two choices. One, the information; the papers or your brains on the desk. Now tell me I'm lying.

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in "Robot Chicken: Due to Constraints of Time and Budget (#4.15)" (2009)

Soundtrack:

Allegro

Enjoyable action-by-numbers film

Having just finished working with a French girl at work, our conversations about movies (and in particular, Luc Besson) are also at an end. You see, Besson is my favourite French producer of movies - whether he's writing or directing. But my former colleague disagrees. She feels that Besson has neglected his Gallic origins and now spends his time coming up with ever-more commercial movies that appeal more to American audiences than French. Having recently raved about the Besson-scripted "Taxi" (and not the dumb-ass Yankie remake), I can see her point of view and further evidence is provided courtesy of "The Transporter" which is a no-nonsense action thriller with the East End's finest Jason Statham. And before that description sends you fleeing for your lives, let me explain why you should watch this movie.

Statham plays Frank Martin, an ex-military type living in the south of France. He has a very nice BMW and a shady past he wants to escape. He also has a courier's job of questionable legality. For a suitable fee, he will take any goods to anywhere and no questions asked. He's the best there is which is why local hoodlum Wall Street (Matt Schulze) hires Frank to pick up a bag and deliver it to him. But the bag contains a beautiful Chinese girl (Qi Shu) and soon, Frank finds his conscience again and decides to intervene. Which soon lands him in a whole heap of trouble...

Having only seen Statham in the fabulous "Lock, Stock And Two Smoking Barrels" and the somewhat less-than-great "Italian Job" remake, this film provides a fierce contrast. Statham smacks, kicks and punches his way through the goons like a meatier Jackie Chan and it is impressive. The action is well-staged if slightly OTT and the same can be said for the driving scenes, as every action film these days needs a car chase in France. "Ronin", "Bourne Identity", "Taxi" and now this - where will it end? And although Statham's action man persona is alive and well, his acting ability here is compromised. He's saddled with a strange accent, trying to sound American through that thick London accent and it doesn't work. Qi Shu doesn't really have that much to do besides getting kidnapped and being the love interest and nobody else is as good as Statham. Also, I didn't like the CGI bullets flying everywhere - made the baddies look like they were shooting laser pistols. Still, the scenery looks nice.

But despite it's old-skool approach and dodgy acting, this is still an enjoyable romp through the sunnier parts of southern France. The pace is electric and rarely does the action let up throughout the course of the film. The people-smuggling story doesn't get in the way too much and Statham surprisingly holds the film together as the crook with a heart. It is typical Besson - lots of mindless action and violence and made very much with a young male audience in mind. It's disposable and basic but assuming you fit the audience profile, you'll love it. What it does, it does very well but anyone looking for an intelligent action film should look elsewhere. And I feel that they could have picked a better name than "The Transporter". Makes the film sound like it's set on a ferry...