Though director Olivier Megaton exhibits a good bit of that annoyingly jagged editing that's become all the rage in action films, he has the good sense to never cut away from Statham's pecs.
Transporter 3 (2008)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:22
Fresh:7
Rotten:15
Average Rating:4.8/10
Consensus: This middling installment in the Transporter franchise is a few steps down from its predecessors, featuring generic stunts and a lack of energy.
Australian Theatrical Release:
Feb 5, 2009 Wide
US Box Office: $31,316,973
Synopsis: Combining Western-style car chases and Hong Kong-inspired fight sequences choreographed by martial arts legend Cory Yuen, the Luc Besson-created TRANSPORTER films have found international success... Combining Western-style car chases and Hong Kong-inspired fight sequences choreographed by martial arts legend Cory Yuen, the Luc Besson-created TRANSPORTER films have found international success as a sort of working-class James Bond series. Jason Statham, who has become the go-to guy for big-budget B-movie thrills, returns once again as Frank Martin, the driver-for-hire for whom no job is too risky. Brimming with the usual jaw-dropping stunts, this is another crowd-pleasing entry in the saga, delivered at a brisk and flashy clip by director Olivier Megaton. Following the coercion of Ukrainian environmental official Leonid Vasilev (Jeroen Krabbe) into signing papers permitting the shipping of toxic materials into a harbor by criminal mastermind Johnson (Robert Knepper), Frank Martin is forced into accepting the job of driving Vasilev's kidnapped daughter, Valentina (Natalya Rudakova)--acting as human collateral--from Marseilles to the Black Sea coastal city of Odessa. On the chance the Martin should attempt to flee, Johnson has rigged him with a bracelet that will detonate if he strays more than 75 feet from his car. When Valentina is intercepted by a rival group, Martin will have to push his Audi M8 to the limit to complete his mission and ensure his own survival. The TRANSPORTER films require copious amounts of suspension of disbelief, but then again, one doesn't hope they will strictly adhere to the laws of physics. The third volume provides ample thrills, not the least of which is the sight of a car driving off a bridge onto a moving train. Plenty of screen time is also given to Statham's superhumanly chiseled torso, while freckled Rudakova's unconventional beauty balances out the sex appeal. In the end, Statham's undeniable likeability propels the film, and his chemistry in a handful of scenes with François Berleand, returning as Inspector Tarconi, provides some nice comic moments. [More]
Starring: Jason Statham, Robert Knepper, Francois Berleand, Natalya Rudakova
Starring: Jason Statham, Robert Knepper, Francois Berleand, Natalya Rudakova, Jeroen Krabbe, Alex Kobold, David Atrakchi, Yann Sundberg, Eriq Ebouaney, David Kammenos, Silvio Simac
Director: Olivier Megaton
Director: Olivier Megaton
Screenwriter: Luc Besson, Robert Mark Kamen
Producer: Luc Besson, Steven Chasman
Composer: Alexandre Azaria
Studio: Lions Gate Films
Reviews for Transporter 3
The good thing about Transporter 3 is that you know exactly what to expect. There's reluctant hero Jason Statham, a deadly villain, exotic European locations, car chases, hot action and .. of course there's a girl
With insulting action sequences and a tacked-on love scene, the movie quickly veers into a downward spiral.
Incoherent and inconsistent, this is a step back for Statham in his quest to become more than a cult figure.
Transporter 3 is a reassuringly beefy thriller in which Jason Statham has to drive very fast across Eastern Europe with a Ukranian beauty queen on the seat beside him. No one, including Jason, has the slightest clue why. Never mind.
Statham is a relatively entertaining action hero - though he is better in the Crank films. The script is by Besson, but the director is Olivier Megaton, whose surname is the most exciting thing about the film.
Somehow Statham comes out of this improbable thriller with his dignity intact. With classic action-hero qualities and dry wit, he seems woefully under-employed as a deliveryman.
For those who believe that more is better, Transporter 3 is the best of the unapologetically ridiculous series.
To chart the differences between Transporter 3 and its two predecessors is as pointless as trying to parse its flimsy plot.
Although Megaton's CGI fight scenes are as chopped up and incomprehensible as the current norm, he mostly avoids the Queasy-Cam and uses a stable camera while only the action moves. How about that.
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