The more you know, the better it gets

Rating: 8/10 (6 April 2006)

Upon our first meeting, Transporter didn't leave much of an impression as an action film even tough it bore a certain charm & freshness, possibly because I didn't watch it until the end. This is a great actioner ! I'll say it again if I must. It benefits from his Chinese, French and American origins alike : local atmosphere and intimacy combined with one-liners & great action, with martial flavour.
THE GOOD Jason Statham has both the charisma & martial arts skills to make his performance as a self-controlled, slightly weary ex-soldier off. Sold in the making of as the occidental answer to Jackie Chan he is indeed devoted enough to train for his own stunt work up to perfection & very likable. The French police inspector and the Japanese girl are also well portrayed, respectively professional and determined when they're not kind. On the other hand, the villains are cardboard, even tough the henchmen must be given credit for their fighting scenes with Satham.
Supervised by an Asian co-director with years of fighting choreography experience, these are just fine, whether Statham battles with 10 guys in a pool of motor oil (actually syrup but still a slippery mess), outdrives the Marseille police with his Transporter skills or shows near bullet-time speed in an axe fight. Only the fights in the truck cabin kept me wondering why they hadn't crashed already. Vehicles in action movies often seem to have a secretive automatic pilot for these circumstances.
THE BAD Those bank robbers. How can a professional put up with such nerve wrecks ? (I had to say something)
THE UGLY The story (especially the inspector's illegal cooperation in spite of the criminal evidence against the Transporter) isn't everything but less of an excuse than in most B-movies within the genre. The romance has the usual forced start but nevertheless it's highly enjoyable thanks to the innocence of the girl.