Jason Statham is Back in Transporter 3 2008 Film
Frank Martin has Returned to France to Resume his Business
Oct 15, 2009 Christopher Sharman
Transporter 3 is a 2008 action film and is the third film in the Transporter series. Both Jason Statham and François Berléand reprise their roles from the previous two films as Frank Martin and Inspector Tarconi respectively. Transporter 3 is directed by Olivier Megaton and stars Prison Break’s Robert Knepper as the film’s main villain Johnson.
The Transporter Returns to France
Frank Martin is once again back in France and has resumed transporting unknown packages around. This time he is captured by Johnson and a device is attached to his arm. The device is a bomb set to detonate if he moves too far from a transmitter installed in his car. He is instructed to deliver a package and told that he is to take Valentine Vasilev (Natalya Rudakova) with him.
It quickly becomes clear that Valentine is the package Frank has to deliver. She has been kidnapped by Johnson in order to manipulate her father Leonid Vasilev (Jeroen Krabbe) the Head of the Environmental Protection Agency. During their journey her father’s bodyguards attempt to apprehend them and once again Inspector Tarconi is on hand to provide Frank with what help he can.
The Transporter’s Final Package
The Transporter and Transporter 2 were both solid action films that did not let up on the action. Unfortunately Transporter 3 is a very poor addition to the series. Jason Statham and François Berléand are obviously at home in their respective roles; unfortunately there are just too many flaws to make this film enjoyable.
In both The Transporter and Transporter 2 there was a moment when Frank did something that defied belief. In Transporter 3 the entire film defies belief. There are just too many flaws for anything to elevate this film above tedium. Robert Knapper doesn’t get enough on screen time, and when he does he seems to just wander around sneering at various people. Frank’s car also seems to have more gadgets than James Bond’s Aston Martin. Frank is even able to use the car’s tyres to inflate airbags keeping the car afloat after it goes over a bridge. Once the sodden car is back on dry land, it only needs a spark to the battery to get it running perfectly again.
Rudakova is attractive but the character she plays is generally unnecessarily difficult and is nothing less than thoroughly irritating. She has no chemistry with Statham and the audience is just expected to believe that the pair falls in love during their dangerous journey.
Transporter 3 Fails to Impress
The action sequences are once again impressive but the bodyguards that Valentine’s father have sent after her seem more interested in shooting holes in Frank’s car than rescuing her. The audience is also left to wonder why the guards didn’t approach Frank and explain the situation to him instead of pursuing him across half a mountain range with a seemingly endless supply of ammunition.
Transporter 3 is a dire film and lacks the fun of the previous two. There is very little that redeems the film and any fans of The Transporter and/or Transporter 2 should pretend that this film doesn’t exist. Transporter 3 also falls squarely into the trap that so many third films do. They seem to just be a cash in on the success of the previous films. There is nothing new on display here and clearly director Megaton has absolutely no idea about how to create an excellent action film with a dash of chemistry between its stars thrown in.
1/5
Very poor film that should be avoided like the plague.
Transporter 3
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