The Transporter

Initial Reaction: Hey, let’s do that again!

I am a middle-class, intelligent young woman who works in education and values relationships most highly in my life. Why, then, did I like The Transporter? It doesn’t make much sense, and to the casual observer, might seem quite unexpected. In short, it’s a fun, action-packed film with a good main character and some interesting plot points. I couldn’t look away from the fighting sequences. The music was high-energy, and the pace was steady and quick; I felt as though the ending of the movie depended on my involvement.

Jason Statham doesn’t have the most difficult job in the world playing the role of Frank Martin, an ex-army something who seems bitter about his past and now has a job as a transporter. His character is minimal: not caring necessarily about abiding by the law, retaining relationships, or getting hurt, but still being kind-hearted and human enough to help the innocent or those that are unfairly treated. His personality is that of a strong, close-lipped man with few relationships (if any) who likes to do things his own way. Frank Martin is an “underground” transporter of goods and people. He strives to know as little as possible about his clients, and strictly abides by his own set of rules. Until…

It seems like a regular job. For Frank, that is. He meets the appropriate people, at the appropriate time, and receives a large duffel bag for transporting. But something different happens this time. He has to stop to replace a flat tire, and in so doing realizes that the bag in his trunk contains a person. He allows himself to break his rules out of compassion for the girl, and at this point the conflict arises. He’s gone too far, and his clients want him dead. And now that he’s stepped in the direction of helping Lai (the girl he initially found), he finds himself in an unraveling situation that calls for him to either coldly refuse to help innocent people or to go in a bit over his head.

Statham is a commanding lead. Watching him fight is almost mesmerizing, and the fighting sequences in this film are very creative. These battles take place in such non-standard locations as: an oil slick, between huge metal containers, and in a bus filled with people. The action is well-balanced, too: not too artsy or aided with obvious special effects, but also creative and intricate enough to keep a person waiting for the next move.

However, as much as I appreciated the very well-done fight scenes and car chases, I felt the inevitable lack of depth that many expect from high-action films. The plot was fine—standard, and an intriguing pull between caring and indifference—but nothing to recommend it above any other action film. Probably the most troublesome to me was the female lead, Lai, played by Qi Shu. My feelings are most likely the collective frustrations from about 50 action movies I’ve previously viewed in which the female lead can be summed up in three words: token hot girl. Lai isn’t a bad character, or a poor actress. It’s just clear that her role wasn’t exactly the result of creative inspiration. She is helpless enough, sexy enough, and screams enough to fulfill the token hot girl role.

The rest of the characters were simply fighting fodder for Statham. The “bad guy,” played by Matt Shulze, was decent, but for some reason rubbed me the wrong way. But maybe that was the point.

Rating: 11

So, if you’re in the mood for some intense driving, fascinating fight sequences, and sexy actors, this movie is an A+. For those that need more substance, it’s a B. If you need realistic movies with incredible acting and noteworthy cinematography, it’s a C. All things considered, in my opinion The Transporter translates to an 11 on the 22 scale. Please, enjoy.