Rating:
7
Year of release: 2005
Genre: action
Director: Louis Leterrier
Martial arts director: Corey Yuen
Car stunt director: Michel Julienne
Writers: Luc Besson, Robert Mark Kamen
Producers: Luc Besson, Steve Chasman
Music: Alexandre Azaria
Cinematographer: Mitchell Amundsen
Editors: Walter Mauriot, Christine Lucas Navarro, Vincent Tabaillon
Stars: Jason Statham, Alessandro Gassman, Amber Valletta, Katie Nauta, Matthew Modine, Jason Flemyng, Keith David, Hunter Clary, Shannon Briggs, Francois Berleand, Raymond Tong
Rated PG-13 for language and violence
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Transporter 2
In Transporter 2, Jason Statham returns as Frank Martin, a mercenary who has taken a break from his usual job of delivering illicit goods and kidnap victims to chauffeur a politician's son named Jack (played by Hunter Clary, one of the better kid actors in recent memory, simply because he doesn't screech or whine). Jack is kidnapped by Gianni (Alessandro Gassman), a Euro-trash crime lord who is using the kidnapping as a ruse to implant Jack with a virus, which his father will spread to the world's leaders during a conference. During his time with Jack, Frank has grown attached to him, and so when he is kidnapped, Frank decides to take the law into his own hands to save the child.
It's a bit surprising that a sequel was made to 2002's The Transporter. Even though this reviewer (and a few other people) enjoyed the film, it only took in $25 million at the US box office. But over the past couple of years, it has become a cult favorite and a strong seller on DVD, so perhaps it was inevitable that a sequel would be created. Thankfully, even though it was probably just made to line Luc Besson's pockets with more cash, Transporter 2 is one of the few sequels that actually equals its' predecessor.
Like the first film, Transporter 2 has a pretty silm story, but there's nothing wrong with that. Sometimes an action movie just needs to be an action movie. So many Hollywood productions are trying to be "events" nowadays, and they often forget to actually entertain the audience in the process (this summer's dismal remake of War of the Worlds is a prime example). Sure, the dialogue is cheesy at points (Frank's ending taunt to Gianni -- "Your flight's been cancelled", and Gianni's response of "No, you're cancelled" -- generated some unintentional laughs from the audience) and there's little to no actual character development (even after two movies, all we really know about Frank is that he used to be in the Special Forces, likes to drive fast cars, and beat a lot of ass), so if you're looking for a "serious" movie experience, you'd better look elsewhere.
What you will get with a viewing of Transporter 2 is a whole lot of action. Corey Yuen has done a fine job with the fighting scenes once again, and the editors have left aside the usual herky-jerky "MTV style" most US action films sport, so you can actually see what's going on. Of particular note is an outstanding scene where Frank puts a fire hose to some inventive uses to take out a group of thugs. Unfortunately, the car chases don't fare quite as well -- there are a couple of CGI-assited shots which feel out of place -- but they're exciting enough, if not quite up to the level of the first installment. Even with a few quibbles, Transporter 2 is a solid "popcorn film" that provides a fitting end to the big summer movie season.
