Directed by Louis Leterrier and Corey Yuen
Screenplay by Luc Besson (written by) & Robert Mark Kamen

Jason Statham .... Frank Martin
Qi Shu .... Lai Kwai
Matt Schulze .... Wall Street
François Berléand .... Tarconi
Ric Young .... Mr. Kwai
Doug Rand .... Leader
Didier Saint Melin .... Boss

Produced by
Luc Besson .... producer
Steve Chasman .... producer

Original Music by Stanley Clarke

Cinematography by Pierre Morel

Rated PG-13 for violent sequences and some sensuality.
Runtime: France:94 min / Japan:94 min / USA:92 min
For rating reasons, go to FILMRATINGS.COM, and MPAA.ORG.
Parents, please refer to PARENTALGUIDE.ORG

Ex-Special Forces operator Frank Martin lives what seems to be a quiet life along the French Mediterranean, hiring himself out as a mercenary "transporter" who moves goods - human or otherwise - from one place to another. No questions asked.

Carrying out mysterious and sometimes dangerous tasks in his tricked-out BMW, Frank adheres to a strict set of rules, which he never breaks. Rule One: Never change the deal. Rule Two: No names - Frank doesn't want to know for whom he's working, or what he's transporting. Rule Three: Never look in the package.

Frank's newest transport seems no different from the countless ones he's done in the past. He has been hired by an American known only as "Wall Street" (see Rule Two) to make a delivery, but when Frank stops along route, he notices his "package" is moving. Violating Rule Three, Frank looks inside the bag, finding its contents to be a beautiful, gagged woman.

The old adage, "This is an intellectual movie and is more than just car chases, things blowing up, and action" is certainly not true about The Transporter. As a matter of fact, on the surface this exactly what the movie is about. When we dig a little deeper and think about the plot line, although it is shallow, the movie is about things much deeper than car chases, fight scenes, and things blowing up.

One of the troubling aspects coming out of Hollywood recently is the concept of making a really bad character an enjoyable and audience pleasing one. This was especially true in the summer hit, The Scorpion King where we see an executioner played by Dwayne, "The Rock" Johnson in the title role. There is an imminent danger of establishing as role models individuals who could influence society, or certain members of society, into accepting dangerous habits and actions. Many will see The Transporter as a film that follows that mode. I would offer that there is a significant difference that makes this film worthwhile.

Frank Martin, played wonderfully by Jason Statham, is a former special forces operative for the military who is now "retired". At least this is the story he tells frequent visitor and local police detective, Tarconi, played by Francois Berleand. What Tarconi expects, and in some ways knows, is that Frank is doing something dirty and most certainly illegal.

Frank Martin is a transporter who follows three simple rules,
1) Never change the deal,
2) Never ask for names, and
3) Never look in the package.
We see how dedicated he is to these rules in the opening scenes of the movie. In what has to be one of the best car chases ever filmed, Frank delivers several bumbling bank robbers. I won't go into details here but it is obvious that Frank is dedicated and more than just a delivery boy.

Later on, on another job, Frank gets more than he chooses when he has another job to deliver a package for a rather ruthless character, Wall Street, played by actor Matt Schulze. Schulze is incredibly evil and although his character is somewhat thin in detail, he does an adequate job and we know from the outset that this man is indeed malevolent. The mistake Frank makes though is that he breaks his own rules. While at the beginning of the film he is a rather vile individual, we begin to see a character change that is different from most films. He actually begins to develop a heart, especially after he becomes aware of the contents of his last package, a young girl, and the ultimate battle she is up against.

The aspect of addressing the potential of change is the one thing that made The Transporter worthy of viewing for me. Don't get me wrong; Frank is still a bad guy who has some extremely bad habits. The difference is, that we as an audience see him as a person that has the potential for good. Detective Tarconi sees this potential throughout the film. I found myself hoping for change in the lead character and believing that it was possible. The implications of taking that scenario over into real life can be life changing. Imagine that if we saw the potential in people we would likely be more concerned about them and working to bring about change. Detective Tarconi also sees that potential, as does Shu Qi, the lovely young Asian woman who had been the package to be transported. Ultimately one of the good things that happen is that Frank does begin to change his ways and his life. Instead of fighting for, and not caring about the evil he performs, he actually shows that he has a heart and has to potential to care.

The editing and action in this film are wonderful. There are superb fight scenes and for fans of Steven Segal and others within that particular action genre you will love this movie. It is rated pg-13 but could have easily been rated R. There are glimpses of nudity, some bad language and a lot of action violence. Needless to say it is not for everyone. There are, however, redemptive values to the movie that are certainly worth discussion with those who see the movie and enjoy the genre. At the top of that list is a person's ability to change.

On a scale of 1 - 10, for minus 2 cars and an important tire blowout I'll give it a respectable 7

God Bless,
Mike Furches Luke 15
www.furches.org

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