Lots of Fun - Well worth a look!

Rating: 8/10 (30 May 2003)

Some small SPOILERS
The Transporter is a great action film, with great fight scenes and an okay story. While not a particullary fast film in pace, The Transporter presents a slightly more realistic view of martial arts and unarmed combat. That is where realism stops, but in no way does the movie loose any of its fun or coolness. And cool is what Jason Statham is, plain and simple. He easily fills the role of Frank Martin - The Transporter, who can at one moment be talking to a bunch of lower-level criminals, then dealing with upper crust clients, then kicking the butt of some unfortunate henchman. Statham manages to seamlessly slid between these drastically different facets of his characters being, while remaining extremely calm, collected, and..... well....cool!
While the story is not the greatest out there, and the characters besides Martin rather dull, it is a good story, rather solid and not overly cheesy or overblown. You get the sense the Martin is one man taking on a group with its own little agendas, working for small but important goals. He's not saving NYC from a nuke or taking down a terrorist organization, he's just dealing with a group of thugs, who are small in their goals but in no way disappointing. It is a far more believable film than most action movies, which I appreciate. This story could conceivably take place. Besides a couple plot holes, the story is a good one, not Oscar caliber, but still good.
The action is fast, not from a physical standpoint, but an editing one. While a fight scene is taking place the camera cuts in and out almost too quickly to see all the action, but it does it in just the right way to provide a scene that is charged and gritty. Statham's martial arts skills are great, showing off his training in kickboxing and other martial arts. As an avid karate practitioner, I can say that 99% of his stuff is practical and very little of it is unrealistic. The most impressive fight is the one in which Martin covers himself in oil, preventing the bad guys from grabbing him (which they always do for some strange reason, with painful results). The fight scenes are incredible and highly entertaining.
The one bad thing about this movie is the sound. The slow, light music takes away from the adrenaline and rush of the chases and fights. And the dialouge is often over shadowed by the music. While annoying, they are small grievances.
The Transporter is a solid movie, not great but good. It has a great star, a strong right-and-wrong story, and action that will appeal to any action fan. Not a great piece of cinema, but a strong B-movie that will not disappoint. I highly recommend it!
8/10