Transporter 2
By Brett Lawrence, Blockbuster.co.uk
A different kind of driver…
Jason Statham returns as ‘Ex Special Forces’ soldier and sometime professional driver Frank Martin. The follow-up to the 2003 high-octane hit ‘
The Transporter’ sees the action move from France to Miami. Frank is temporarily acting as a chauffeur to the family of a government drugs policymaker, and in particular his young son. When the son is kidnapped from Frank’s car (implicating Frank in the process) by a gang working for a Columbian drug cartel, Frank vows to get the boy back at all costs and clear his name.
Those expecting a water-tight plot, complex characters and acting worthy of a knighthood abandon all hope now and watch something starring
Laurence Olivier. Those with a desire for explosions, car chases, underwear-clad psychotic vixens, biological warfare and enough cheese to keep Mickey Mouse happy till Christmas read on…
Since his debut in
Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Jason Statham has put his (according to my wife) good looks to great use, starring in hits such as
Snatch,
The Italian Job and
Cellular. However, with his background in martial arts, gymnastics and high-diving ( he came 12th in the 1992 World Champonships) it’s clear that he’s well suited to a more physical role, and
Luc Besson’s “The Transporter” and now its sequel are clearly a chance for him to strut his stuff, performing virtually all of his own stunts. Statham has become that rarest of things, a convincing British action hero, and appears to be having a great time doing so.
Like its predecessor, this movie is all about the set-pieces. The story is just an excuse to get from one set of explosions to the next. Yes, some of the stunts are so ridiculous that you’re more likely to believe a movie about a 50ft tall gorilla, but those who aren’t willing to suspend their disbelief should be back watching that Olivier classic. The rest of us will be having far too much fun to care if you can really flip an Audi 360 degrees without damaging it / killing yourself / both!
Grab some popcorn, turn up the speakers and hold on tight for an adrenaline packed, sugar rush of a movie that doesn’t pretend to take itself seriously, but succeeds in being thoroughly entertaining. Add to your list now!