Salt Lake Tribune Review
If you want gritty reality in your action movies, "Transporter 2" is not your vehicle.
But if you want wild, freewheeling stunts that violate the laws of physics -- to say nothing of the rules of screenwriting or Florida motor-vehicle regulations -- then this little beauty is ready to drive off the lot.
Like the first "Transporter," the sequel is a product of French producer
Luc Besson, and his trademarks -- convoluted plots, eccentric villains, super-stylized action and women with too much eyeliner and not enough clothing -- are as abundant as ever. (Like the first "Transporter," this one is co-written by Besson and
Robert Mark Kamen.)
The title character, driver-for-hire Frank Martin (again played with cool charisma by British actor
Jason Statham), has left the south of France and relocated to Miami. His current assignment, "not the kind of job I usually do," is to chauffeur Jack (
Hunter Clary), the friendly 6-year-old son of the U.S. drug czar, Jefferson Billings (
Matthew Modine). Billings and his wife, Audrey (
Amber Valletta), are having marital problems, and Frank finds himself becoming attached to little Jack.
Then some oily bad guys (led by Italian actor Alessandro Gassman) kidnap Jack and temporarily take Frank hostage as well, leading Billings and the feds to believe he's in on it. Frank aims to save Jack, clear his name, unravel the bad guys' bioterrorism scheme and kick butt on as many people as necessary -- including Lola (Kate Nauta), a psychotic supermodel wearing the latest from Victoria's Secret and Smith & Wesson.
Director
Louis Leterrier (who made another Besson production, "Unleashed," with
Jet Li) and fight choreographer Cory Yuen (who directed the first "Transporter") stage fight scenes that are high on visual shocks and low on realism. When Frank goes MacGyver and fashions an oxygen-bottle rocket and ignites it by throwing a container of ether into a fluorescent light fixture, it sends your brain's hemispheres into rival camps -- one saying "oh, c'mon," the other saying "whoa, that's cool."
Your brain might also be put off by the notion of being entertained at seeing a little boy in peril. But eventually Besson & Co. settle in for guilt-free pyrotechnics, the best moment being when Frank shows off the martial-arts potential of a firehose -- a scene that will have
Jackie Chan kicking himself (and you know Jackie could kick himself if he wanted to).
"Transporter 2" is popcorn-movie mayhem, just the thing to close out summer at the movies.
The rundown: Jason Statham is back as the toughest guy behind the wheel, in an over-the-top action movie.
Synopsis: Frank Martin is the best in the business. The ex-Special Forces operative hires himself out as a mercenary transporter who moves goods--human or otherwise. Very simple, he delivers, no questions asked. Frank has relocated from the French Mediterranean to Miami, Florida, where as a favor to a friend, Frank is driving for the wealthy Billings family. There's very little that can surprise The Transporter, but young Jack Billings has done just that; Frank has unexpectedly bonded with Jack, age 6, who he drives to and from school. But when Jack is kidnapped, Frank must use his battle-tested combat skills to retrieve the boy and thwart the kidnappers' master plan to release a virus that will kill anyone with whom it comes in contact.
