Rating

B-

Pros and Cons

Pros
  • Kung Fu action & unique fighting scenes
  • Slick car chase scenes
  • Jason Statham kicks tail!
  • Great directing under Cory Yuen
Cons
  • Bad soundtrack
  • Nonsensical plot
  • Shu Qi miscast in movie

The Transporter -- Special Edition (DVD)

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Summary

Kung Fu Action Film Starring an Unknown Actor

Description

In The Transporter, Jason Statham plays the title role as an ex-military man named Frank Martin, who transports goods with no questions asked. The movie starts out with a typical delivery: helping bank robbers escape from a bank heist with cops on his tail. After a wild and bumpy ride, Frank eludes the chasers and accomplishes his objective. With this opening scene, the viewers come away with several impressions: this guy is a pro, precise, sophisticated, and lack morals.

Yet his life of precision and perfection proves to be a mere illusion when Frank is overcome by curiosity, and violates his rules by looking inside the contents of a bag during delivery of a cargo. When he discovers a beautiful Asian woman (Shu Qi) inside the bag, problems quickly develop, and Frank must fight his way out to save the woman and his own life.

The Transporter has the typical elements of a good action film: car chases, gun battles, martial arts action, and beautiful scenery (set in the French Mediterranean.) However, like in most action films the plot in The Transporter didn't make a lot of sense. For example, the villains in this film are international slave traders, lead by an Asian man. If the head of a criminal syndicate is Asian, he wouldn't use non-Asian lackeys to do his bidding; the preference would be to stick with Asians. In addition, Asian slaves would not be smuggled through the French Mediterranean; the preferred route for human smuggling would be through Eastern European countries such as Romania. So factually, the plot is full of holes.

Another poor aspect of this film is the casting of Shu Qi as the damsel in distress. While she is beautiful, Shu just didn't make an on-screen connection with Jason. It is hard to believe that they are an item in the film. Finally, rap music, part of the movie soundtrack, just doesn't belong in this film.

If you enjoy good kung fu action and gun fights, you should pick up this DVD. If you hate bad plots, then you should avoid it.

The Special Edition DVD offers audio tracks in English, Spanish, and French, all with Dolby Surround sound. Subtitles are available in English and Spanish. The Special Edition includes both widescreen and full screen versions.

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