Short on plot -- BIG on action. What did you expect?

Rating: 8/10 (13 October 2002)

Most of the movies I bother to comment on are the ones which people say they didn't like because the plot was weak...but if they're honest, most people should tell you that the thing about an Action movie trailer that gets their attention is the ACTION! But most people aren't honest. They wanna pretend that they went to the movie expecting a brilliantly-written story. Well, I got news for ya: Every action movie you see is going to have a weak plot! A Drama had darn well better have a strong plot, sure. But an Action movie -- 9 times out of 10 -- is going to have a weak plot! Why? Because when you see an Action movie trailer, you don't say, "wow, that sounds like a thought-provoking story." No, you say, "WHOA!! THAT MOVIE'S GONNA ROCK!!" So, as I've said many times before, let a movie be what it is. So okay, with that said, yes, the plot of The Transporter was like something from an episode of "The Rockford Files" stretched out to movie length. BUT, The Transporter is clearly (to anybody who's seen the trailer) an Action movie. If you had seen the movie's trailer, but didn't know it was an Action movie when you bought your ticket, then you're an idiot. Now, fast-paced, kick-butt action is the real reason you wanna go see an "ACTION" movie, correct?! I mean, that's why I went to see it! And I was not disappointed in the least! The action in this comes at you hard and heavy through the whole movie, barely stopping for a minute to catch its breath. Yeah, they did a few things that are highly implausible, but who freakin' cares! I see reality all day long! A little imagination never hurt anybody. Which is not to say that the whole movie is full of impossible stunts, but it does have its share. But my point is this: When I saw the trailer for The Transporter, I said, "Whoa!! That movie's gonna rock!" And what did I say as I walked out of the theater after seeing it? I said, "WHOA!! THAT MOVIE ROCKED!!" So did I get what I expected? Absolutely! Well, no...actually, the more I think about it, I didn't really get what I expected. I got more! I loved it! 9 out of 10.