Customer Reviews

The Transporter (Special Delivery Edition)

5 star:		(72)
4 star:		(93)
3 star:		(49)
2 star:		(17)
1 star:		(26)

 

 

Transporter DVD

Transporter is a high action movies involving an ex-Special forces soldier who earns his living transporting "packages" for various clients, mostly shady. In this movie, the transporter ( Jason Stratham )violates his own rules ( he's real big on rules ) and looks inside the package, doesn't like what he sees and doesn't complete the delivery. Bad idea, now the client is after him, along with the police. The movie is set in the French countryside so if you don't enjoy the thrill-a-minute action, just enjoy the view.

Highly recommended for fans of Jason Stratham , James Bond movies, and high action movies, especially car chases.

Gunner March, 2008

I wasn't expecting to enjoy an action flick last night, but when my hubby popped in Transporter I found my attention held almost against my will. I don't generally choose action for my own movie nights. Unexpectedly, the combination of incredible but well-pulled-off stunt sequences and the undeniable charisma of Jason Statham hooked me in.

In case you (like most law-abiding citizens) didn't know, a transporter is the guy who not only acts as a high-priced delivery service for such savory folk as mobsters, but also occasionally lands gigs driving the getaway car from the scene of the crime. From the opening scene where he is doing just that, our transporter, Frank Martin, is clearly the best in the business. A series of improbable car stunts and narrow escapes during the getaway chase establishes the general fast pacing of this movie and the slick professionalism of our "hero". And guys, his Beemer almost has enough gadgets to qualify as a 007 model.

This transporter made the fatal error of breaking one of his own rules when a mobster hired him to deliver a package: Never Look Inside. Sure enough, he discovered a conscience within himself. From that point on, his fate was set against the powerful underground smuggling cartel dealing in human cargo.

The chase scenes, fight scenes, and general action that ensues throughout the film are interspersed with just enough plot twist to keep it interesting and just enough humanity to keep it grounded without becoming maudlin. This is a somewhat toned-down version of a James Bond-like fantasy, set in the beautiful rural countryside of France and riddled with bullets and explosions that take out cars and buildings instead of entire islands. Of course, there is the obligatory gorgeous female who can't keep her hands off of Martin. Great for the testosterone and the estrogen all at once.

In the end, the Transporter did its job: I had fun without rolling my eyes once.
-Andrea, aka Merribelle

The title of the movie is The Transporter. That's apt, considering it's Jason Statham's character, who truly steals the entire movie. It's been a VERY long time since an action star has made the kind of impression Statham has, who's delightfully cool and charismatic, physically agile and imposing, and simply a great deal of fun to watch for every minute he's on screen.

The Transporter was 2002's best pure action film, loaded with thrilling stunts, fast-paced car chases, and some of the most memorable fight scenes (the oil-slick fight is a classic). True, there's not much of a story and a lot of the other actors are pretty bad (Ric Young, Matt Schulze), but the pacing is tight, the action's non-stop, and Statham and Qi Shu make for a surprisingly decent pairing. This is enthusiastically recommended to action fans.

This 2002 film is action all the way. So much action, in fact, that the story doesn't matter. It plays like a young man's fantasy - fast cars, things that blow up, and a pretty girl to decorate the scene. The English actor, Jason Statham, is cast as the cooler than cool hero. He lives is opulent splendor on the French Riviera and is supposedly a former soldier with the British Special Forces. He now makes a living by transporting packages and/or people in his luxury BMW car. For example, the beginning of the film shows him pulling up at exactly the right moment at a bank heist. Four bank robbers in masks rush to get picked up. "The agreement called for three," he says. There is no time to argue as the police are closing in and so they shoot one of their members and throw him out of the car. Of course there is a car chase, with dozens of police cars falling off cliffs or banging into each other as the transporter's car leaps over barriers and is totally immune to all the bullets being shot at him. And that's just the first five minutes.

The transporter's next job consists of delivering a small suitcase to a location. All goes well until he gets a flat tire, opens the trunk and sees the suitcase moving. When he opens it, he finds the lovely Qi Shi, a pretty young Chinese actress who manages her role well, in spite of the fact that she speaks very little English. No problem though because there is very little dialog anyway. Mostly, things blow up, including our hero's luxury house and the pair are forced into a daring underwater escape. There is more and more action and more and more people getting killed and some sort of redeeming value in the plot about saving Chinese slaves from a cargo container. The most important thing in this kind of film, however, are special effects and the martial arts of the hero who can knock out a dozen armed men with a few well-placed kicks.

This is a film targeted to teenage boys. So what is it that kept the eyes of a mature lady like me so glued to the screen? Perhaps its because the action was so intense and outrageous that it just locked in my attention in a way that wound up to be totally relaxing. By all my generally standards I should have hated this film. But sometimes I like to take a mini-vacation from anything meaningful. Hence, I cannot help but recommend The Transporter.

If the world were a different kind of place, Jason Statham would be a huge star. But as it is, despite strong showings in this film and in "The Italian Job," he's not.
Actually, Statham has all the right stuff: he's athletic, intelligent,sexy, honest (to a point)and physically imposing for a short guy. You know the kind of guy you'd share a bottle of Tequila with, let your sister go out with, have beside you when you go to beat up your brother-in-law or drive your Mom to the mall. He's a guy's guy and a woman's guy. He harkens back to the Gables, Stewarts, Fonda's of the world. He's the strong/silent type with extras. I'd really like to see him as a romantic lead, maybe in a film with Drew Barrymore or Jude Law.
This film is nothing new plot wise but it's done with style and grace and the scene of Statham and a bunch of bad guys and a drum full of motor oil is a classic.
If there is any justice in this world, Statham will be the next James Bond. But being that there isn't much, let's hope he has a long, brilliant career instead.

Looking like a Brit version of Bruce Willis, Jason Statham made his debut back in Guy Ritchie's classic crime caper/comedy "Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels." Since then he has been given a few side roles here and there in "Snatch" (or Lock, Stock 2 as I like to call it), John Carpenter's "Ghosts of Mars", and then he teamed up with Delroy Lindo to track two Jet Li's in "The One." But who would've guessed that he finally got his own film, and a kick [butt] action film at that. Ever since Corey Yuen and Luc Besson collaborated on "Kiss of the Dragon," I knew that any film they did together from then on would be golden. And "The Transporter" definitely lives up to that standard. Sure there's nothing new here: how many times is a bad guy gonna get a change of conscience over a hot chick, right? And unlike the others, there is actually some good chemistry going on between our hero and his damsel in distress.

Basically, the film combines some great European atmosphere (The beautiful southern coast of France) with some incredible fight and action sequences. Corey Yuen could pretty much create a fight scenario out of virtually any environment. Now I know you could easily replace Staham with Jet Li, but you know what? He really proves that he can hang with the big boys in this film. I mean, he did ALL HIS OWN STUNTS. How awesome is that? Not even our great American action actors like Sylvestor and Arnold can say that. My only criticsim of the film is that I think they should of beefed it up a little bit and went for the R rating. Other than that I think it's a great little action/martial arts movie with a European flavor. It will definitely make you reminisce over the days when Van Damme and Seagal used to make great Action fliks. I can't wait to see what Turkish has in store for us next. Ladies and Gentlemen, a new action star has been born.

As is the custom with Hollywood studios nowadays, The Transporter is being given the double-dip treatment to coincide with the upcoming sequel. There is very little difference between the two editions, so if you already own this movie you might want avoid this one unless you are a completist.

New to this edition is an "Inside Look" that features the trailer for and a brief behind-the-scenes featurette on The Transporter 2 (2005) which promises more of the same only cranked up a few more notches.

There is an audio commentary by actor Jason Statham and producer Steven Chasman. The two men offer anecdotal recollections of making this movie with the occasional gaps.

Another new extra is "Behind the Scenes...The Transporter," a 35 minute featurette that explores various aspects and mixes on the set footage with clips from the movie. It shows how some of the exciting car chases were orchestrated, rehearsal footage of Statham's fight scene in the bus (with some funny bits as he tries to get a knife trick right) and how certain special effects (i.e. explosions) were done. This is a good look at how this film came together.

Also included is the previous version's making of featurette that was more of a promo puff piece.

There is a "Storyboard-to-Film Comparison" for some scenes from the movie that allows you watch the storyboards and the film separately or view them both simultaneously.

"Extended Fight Sequences" features the first edit of three fight scenes with optional commentary by Statham, Chasman and director Yuen. Statham is candid in voicing his disappointment at the cuts that were made because they disrupted the rhythm of the sequences. Yuen talks about how he wanted the action to service the story and not the other way around.

Finally, there are trailers for the movie.

Not usually a fan of violent films, I happened on this movie as a desperate attempt to be entertained. And what a happy jolt it was to discover probably one on the best action movies ever made. Though slight on story, THE TRANSPORTER is creatively choreographed in its fight scenes, contains one of the best car chases ever filmed (aided with the splendid background of Nice, France), and gives full reign to the VERY fine Jason Statham - an actor with enough charisma, looks, and acting ability to put him in the lineup with the best of the usual suspects for these genre films. His controlled, exacting presence as a hired 'transporter' of questionable 'goods' is bolstered by what appears to be his own participation in the beautifully choreographed, though implausible, fight sequences. Francois Berleand is also fine as a crusty, wise French detective. The remainder of the cast is only adequate, but it matters little with the power of the presence of Jason Statham and the direction of Corey Yuen. Not deep, not thought-provoking, but a very worthwhile diversionary evening!

This movie was incredible.The action scenes are some of (if not the) best scenes I've ever seen in a movie. The oil fight is without a doubt the most original and best fight scene ever made, in my opinion. Statham is a perfect fit for this role and delivers a flawless performance, as you can't help but like him after seeing what co-actors he has to work with. If he can make a movie good with these people, he's the man.

However, if you're looking for a deep movie and great acting, beware. There is, well, no story what-so-ever, and there isn't a plot to be found. The acting, um, ...; with the exception of Statham and his detective friend. But, if you're able to lighten up a bit, you can be entertained by the poor acting and sorry story, as I found myself laughing at them in several spots.

There was just one other qualm I had with this film: the soundtrack. I'm sorry, but hip-hop background music just doesn't cut it here. It is really begging for some hard rock music to get the audience's adrenaline up in some of the fights, but trust me, the fights can do it on there own.

Bottom line-if you want action BUY IT. If you want a well written and well-cast classic, STEER CLEAR.

I love this movie. Not only is the action intense and riveting, but Jason Statham is fine with a capitol F. He's fast and spectacular! He moves the plot like he's been doing this all his life! Watch this movie!!!