Jon Monsarrat review: decent action, but silly, like "Independence Day"

Rating: 5/10 (19 August 2006)

Transporter, like Jackie Chan's Rumble in the Bronx, is all about the action, and the plot doesn't make any sense. And there were some very impressive scenes. But ultimately the action wasn't quite high-level enough to sustain my interest in the face of many plot holes.
The motivations of the characters didn't make much sense. The policeman and the bad guy are friends for no reason I can see. I didn't feel any chemistry in the romance. There is a father-child relationship that doesn't make any sense. The protagonist is one of those criminals with a heart of gold, except in the first 20 minutes of the film, he does some incredibly ugly stuff I won't spoil for you. I can't empathize with a protagonist who'd do that. Some of the comedy with the lead actress fell flat. (You can't miss her, she the only woman in the entire movie with a speaking role.) A lot of stuff blows up, which is good, I just couldn't get the plot points out of my mind.
Who should see this film:
-- Action movie lovers only, and then only on a rainy day. If you didn't like "Independence Day" or "Mars Attacks!" you won't like this.
-- Chauffers with a chip on their shoulder I'll give Transporter a disappointing 5 out of 10.