It's trash, but hell if it ain't entertaining

Rating: 7/10 (26 November 2015)

I don't think I've ever witnessed a movie that so thrives on a strangely dumb likability as "The Transporter". I felt a very European "The Fast and the Furious" vibe from this (not just the Matt Schulze connection), only not so insulting to the brain. There's no use coming to this with knives sharpened; it's inviting in its mindlessness.
To wit: Jason Statham's a conveyor of goods for various criminal enterprises, and his every action is governed by a code of rules. Obviously, he'll come to break those rules and find himself in hot water with the bad guys as a result. Cue the series of physically impossible fight scenes. It's not hard to see where this thing's headed, but somehow, it doesn't make you want to slap yourself. All of this absurdity rests on the icy coolness of Statham, a man rising to the occasion without reservation. He's why something so flimsy can actually work. Even when he's fighting thugs on an oil slick, it's still engaging.
I liked it just as much today as I did in 2002. I've got no interest in the sequels, granted, but as a standalone, it's a fun movie.
7/10