Transporter 2
By: Douglas Heath | Category: On DVD | 09/06/05 | 11:19 PM
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Grade: B | Genre: Action/Thriller
Summary: English Actor Jason Statham returns as the crime-fighting chauffeur, Frank Martin, in the movie Transporter 2, with spectacular driving demonstrations that not only defy the laws of physics, but also never seem to scratch or damage his 12-cylinder Audi A8 (automaker BMW apparently didn't want to participate in product placement this time around). When he's not behind the wheel, he also finds time to show us that it's still possible to take ass-kicking to a brand new level, making other would-be action heroes like Xander Cage of xXx (Vin Diesel) look meek by comparison.
The French EuropaCorp Group produced Transporter 2. Established by author, director and producer Luc Besson, the studio has produced such cult movies such as The Big Blue and Leon - The Professional. It is one of Europe's few independent studios. Both stunt choreographer Cory Yuen (Romeo Must Die, X-Men) and Michel Julienne (007-The Living Daylights, Taxi) worked on the film. |
The plot is a slight variation of the typical: The young son of the father who heads up the DEA gets kidnapped, and the family's substitute chauffeur, Frank Martin, becomes the only person who can save him. He soon becomes aware that this is much more than a simple kidnapping, and the plot thickens, as he must ultimately save the boy and his family from a deadly biological weapon that also threatens the entire population of Miami. While the action sequences are more than just a little bit unbelievable (as you might expect if you watched the first installment of The Transporter), just try to keep your eyes from rolling so you don't miss any of the action, suspend your disbelief to the extent possible and enjoy the ride!
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| Transporter 2 |
Starring: Jason Statham, Alessandro Gassman, Amber Valletta, Kate Nauta & Matthew Modine
Director: Louis Leterrier |
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| View the Trailer (Quicktime) |
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Jason Statham (Snatch, The Italian Job) is perfectly cast as the stylish, always in control Frank Martin, an ex-special forces operative turned professional driver, who wears cool digs and almost never uses a gun to defeat twelve or more bad guys at a time. One memorable scene, which exemplifies just how in control Frank Martin is, is where the kidnapped son's mother, Audrey Billings (played by the lovely Amber Valletta), pays a special visit to his house so she can seduce him (her husband is married to his job and doesn't pay her enough attention so we're told). Frank Martin declines her invitation for a romp, however, by explaining that, "It's because of the kind of man I am". While such a rejection from a heterosexual man is more unlikely than say flying through the air out of a waterway on a jet ski in order to catch a school bus speeding down an adjacent road, it does suggest that he is a man of character who really does follow the rules he talks about throughout the film (and also one who won't shoplift the pootie from a mother unlike some fictional characters we know...say Jerry Maguire for example).
Noteworthy newcomer actress Katie Nauta gives the audience a very memorable introduction as the evil, but comely henchwoman, Lola, to the film's villain, Gianni (Alessandro Gassman), as she shoots up the set and causes trouble for our hero. Granted, the unusual fact that she does so wearing only a bra and panties may seem gratuitous, but who cares!
Notwithstanding all the high-flying car stunts, unbelievable fight scenes, and near death encounters, Frank Martin still comes across as a solitary figure with a greater sense of purpose than shown thus far. He is literally "driven" to do good deeds, but we never really learn where this drive comes from and why his rules are so important to him. He's somewhat mechanical in his approach. With more character development to accomplish, the closing suggested that we haven't seen the last of him, however, and that this could very well potentially be the beginning of a Transporter franchise.
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