Fast Facts About Transporter 3
The Jason Statham Action Film Promises Another Wild Ride
Nov 21, 2008
Starring Jason Statham, Francois Berleand, Robert Knepper, Jereon Aart Krabbe, and introducing Natalya Rudakova, the action thriller Transporter 3 takes viewers from Marseilles through Stuttgart and Budapest to the final destination: Odessa on the Black Sea.
In 2002 audiences met Special Forces Officer Frank Martin (Statham), a.k.a. The Transporter. He charges high prices to transport various packages to whatever destination is required. Frank asks no questions, doesn’t get involved, and likes to use his own car.
About the Production of Transporter 3
In Transporter 3, Frank is forced into transporting a mysterious and cynical Ukrainian woman (Rudakova) who refuses to provide any answers to his questions regarding the package. During their journey, both must wear metal bracelets designed to explode if they venture more than one hundred feet from the vehicle.
The original low-budget film The Transporter (directed by Corey Yuen) grossed $44 million internationally, and the sequel (directed by Louis Leterrier) grossed $74 million.
Transporter 3 (directed by Oliver Megaton) provides longer and more intense action sequences that occur on land, underwater, in cars, and in a train.
Written by Luc Besson (who also produced) and Robert Mark Kamen, Transporter 3 (unlike the two previous films) reveals Frank’s softer side as he fishes with old friend and French policeman Tarconi (Berleand) and becomes romantically involved with his fellow captive, Valentina (Rudakova).
The Stunts in Transporter 3
The many fight scenes are choreographed by Cory Yuen (who directed the first installment), and made a name for himself working with Jet Li and Jackie Chan, in addition to choreographing Lethal Weapon 4, X-Men, Kiss of the Dragon, and the previous Transporter movies.
The fight scenes reflect the same style as in previous Transporter films, but use steadicams, unusual camera angles, and editing techniques to make them look different from any previous action movies.
To make the car chases look more realistic, they are filmed at real speed without models and only minimal use of computer-generated images (CGI). The majority of stunts take place on the set rather than on the computer.
The Actors in Transporter 3
Born in Sydenham, England, Statham launched his career with Guy Ritchie’s independent film Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, followed by a role in Snatch.
Buff actor Statham, says he followed a strict diet to lose weight and an exercise regime to get toned in preparation for his shirtless scenes in the film. He admits to originally wanting to be a stuntman in the movies.
Rudakova makes her film debut as Valentina, a young woman who has been kidnapped from a nightclub. The Russian-born Rudakova worked in New York as a hairdresser until writer-producer Besson discovered her walking on the street.
Knepper, who plays the villainous Johnson, is best known for his role as another villain: Theodore “T-Bag” Bagwell in Prison Break.
- Transporter 3
- Starring Jason Statham, Natalya Rudakova, Francois Berleand, Robert Knepper, Jereon Aart Krabbe
- Director: Olivier Megaton
- Run Time: 103 minutes
- Rating: PG-13 (for sequences of intense action and violence, some sexual content and drug material)
For more information about action movies, read Movie Review of The Condemned.
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