In Transporter 3, Jason Statham returns to the role that first made him an action star.  He’s Frank Martin, a former Special Forces officer who now does odd driving jobs for some less-than-legitimate clients.  This time, however, he is unavailable, fishing with his French inspector buddy, and suggests another person for the job.  When that doesn’t work out, the bad guys come knocking on his door, determined to make him available whether he wants to be or not.

Now Frank finds himself on his way to Budapest with a package and a passenger.  The passenger is Valentina, a Ukranian redhead who may be more trouble than she’s worth, but since both of them have been adorned with a fancy bracelet that will explode if they get more than seventy-five feet away from the car, he’s stuck with her.

Frank doesn’t know exactly what he’s gotten himself into, but it seems to have something to do with a boatload of toxic waste and a politician with somewhat controversial plans to keep the environment “green.”

Statham—whom I can’t help but refer to by his Italian Job moniker Handsome Rob—may be the smoothest rear-end kicker working in Hollywood today. There’s just something so suave about the way he removes his tie—or shirt, or jacket—and uses it to disarm his opponent… or opponents, as there is often more than one.  Of course, when it comes to suavity in action, the accent always helps.  In fact, it’s been working for James Bond for over forty years.

The exploding bracelet at first may seem like a gimmick that may limit the action a bit, but it never really seems to get in the way.  In fact, it’s responsible for the film’s best chase scene.  While Frank is getting orders on a payphone, his car is stolen.  In order for him to avoid becoming a member of the million little pieces club, he must race the car on foot, by bicycle and whatever other means are at his instant disposal in order to catch up with the car before it gets seventy-five feet away from him.  I felt it was a bit of a stretch of the imagination to believe that the driver couldn’t get far enough away, but if you are looking for realism you have stepped into the wrong theater.

As for his companion, I don’t know where Natalya Rudakova came from—in fact, this is her first film—but she is gorgeous.  She may not be much more than a pretty face at this point, but I’m sure most of this film’s patrons aren’t going to mind.  I know I didn’t.

The film is not without its negative points. It often felt over-edited, as most action movies seem to be nowadays, but it’s not enough to distract from the ride.  Also, for as stunning as the girl is, she can be quite annoying once she makes the transition from moody to pharmaceutically-enhanced, and the “need” for a love story really grinds the film to a halt at one point.

Aside from the brief lull, however, Transporter 3 is a non-stop action ride with some fantastic stunts and a charismatic leading man.  It’s a good escape.

Transporter 3 is rated PG-13 for “sequences of intense action and violence, some sexual content and drug material.”  That’s a fair rating.  Unlike most action movies nowadays, Transporter doesn’t emphasize the blood and the sex is really minimal. 

Courtesy of a local publicist, Jeff attended a promotional screening of Transporter 3.