Review of The Transporter (2002) by Andrew M — 09 Jun 2013

Action movies are often a mixed bag. Some franchises, like the James Bond series and the Bourne trilogy, add plenty of high octane action without diminishing the plot and script. Other ones are just action, action, action, with little to no focus on the storyline or screenplay. Unfortunately, The Transporter falls into the latter category. The stunts and fights are really fun to watch, but the storyline and acting is barebones and boring.

The Transporter focuses on Frank Martin, a highly trained mercenary, getaway driver for criminals, and a "transporter" for anything that needs delivered. Martin follows three strict rules: never change the deal, no names, and never open the package. Martin is widely known as the best in his business, never delivering a package late, no matter what the deal may be. This is seen in the exciting opening scene. Four bank robbers pile into Martin's car, but the job only called for three. He refuses to leave until the job's specifications are correct. The extra criminal is shot, and the exciting car chase ensues.

Later on, Martin receives another job from an American criminal known as Bettencourt. En route to his destination, Martin's tire goes flat. Getting the spare out of the trunk, he notices the package squriming and moving. He'll soon break his rules as he opens the package to find a gagged woman. This discovery changes Martin's look on his job, and will change his motives.

The storyline is not very engaging, and often times takes a turn for the worse. The once interesting Frank Martin, ruled by his own greed, slowly devolves into a boring, run of the mill action movie star. There's nothing in the movie that keeps you on the edge of your seat with really good storytelling or writing. The plot is bland and generic, a disappointing fact considering the opening scene offered much more than was delivered.

The acting is far from great. Jason Statham plays the lead role with as much charisma as you can have in a movie as disappointing as this. Statham is a fine action star, and he's not too shabby in the other moments in the movie. Shu Qi plays Lai Kwai, the gagged woman in the package. In all honesty, Qi's acting is horrendous. She doesn't serve any decent purpose once she is discovered by Martin. She drags herself along in the action scenes, but she never fights; she just screams. And screams. And screams. The rest of the acting is pretty disappointing as well.

At least the action scenes are fun to look at. There's a handful of them scattered throughout the film, and they're all a blast. Car chases, fist fights, and chase sequences all make appearances, and they're well shot and enjoyable for the short amount of time they get on screen.

All in all, The Transporter has good action sequences, but no substance. The acting, for the most part, is dreadful, and the storyline has nothing unique or engaging to distinguish it from every other action flick at the box office. If one word could sum up The Transporter, it would be "disappointing.".