Good mindless fun!

Rating: 8/10 (18 September 2010)

Action star Jason Statham is Frank, the eponymous transporter who will deliver anything for a price. He has three simple rules; never change the plan, no names, and don't look in the package. On his latest job he breaks the third rule and discovers that he has a beautiful Chinese woman in the boot of his car. Knowing that he is delivering a person against their will doesn't cause him to abandon the job although he does let her have a drink. When he delivers her he is offered another simpler job; just delivering a case this time. Luckily for Frank he stops off to get some refreshments because as he returns to his car it explodes. Displeased about this he returns to the house he'd dropped the woman at and helps himself to one of the cars there; but not before beating up a load of goons. As he drives away he discovers that the Chinese woman, called Lai, had escaped in the commotion and hidden in the car. The man who wanted him dead wasn't in the house at the time and when he learns what has happened heads off to kill Frank... Frank is hard to kill though and he is soon helping Lai who explains that the man is involved in human trafficking. Soon she has been captured by the man and we learn that her father is also involved with the trafficking. Frank spends the remainder of the film fighting hoards of goons, parachuting onto the back of a moving lorry and dodging bullets while trying to rescue Lai and the trafficked people who are trapped in a container.
If you go into this film expecting a gritty exposé on the evils of trafficking you will be disappointed however if you sit back, but your brain in neutral and suspend your disbelief you should have a great time. Jason Statham is great in the role of Frank, playing it dead straight he made the unbelievable scenes believable; even when he drove a car off a bridge and landed on a car transporter and when he fought a room full of goons while covered in oil. Qi Shu was good as Lai although she didn't have too much to do. I liked François Berléand's portrayal of Inspector Tarconi; a policeman who clearly knew that Frank was up to something but never really made an attempt to catch him and even let him go when Frank pointed out that he could get to the bad guys so much faster than the police could. The many fights are all perfectly choreographed and the car chases and spectacular.