Back to the action

Rating: 8/10 (25 January 2013)

'The Transporter' is an action thriller with a credible action hero. Jason (Lock, Stock) Statham comes out with a lot of credit for his performance here. I just wish he had decided sooner (at the start of the film, preferably) not to try to put on an American accent. By the end, he is just using standard Estuary English, which works fine with his character.
His trade as a high-end courier (would The Courier have been a better title?) working for any criminal gang that wants his services leads to interest from the local police inspector, played by Francois Berleand, who also turns in a wonderful performance. Scenes between the two of them work well. But, as acting credits go, that is about it.
The movie is well directed, well edited and beautifully photographed. The fight scenes are tightly choreographed, often in narrow corridors, and Statham earns his money in those scenes. If you like car chases, you will love the first few minutes too.
Although the plot does not really make sense, it exists as a framework to hang all the shooting, fighting, diving, driving and explosions – and they are good.
There is the inevitable 'love scene' between Statham and Qi Shu (bet you saw that coming) but it's all over very quickly, as if the director realised that it's not what we're here for. Back to the action.