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Movies / On DVD / The Transporter
The Transporter

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The Transporter (2002)

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Reviews Counted:121

Fresh:64

Rotten:57

Average Rating:5.5/10

Consensus: The Transporter delivers the action at the expense of coherent storytelling.

Runtime: 1 hr 32 mins

Genre: Action/Adventure

Synopsis: 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 -... 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 whom he's working for, 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.

Frank's steadfast adherence to his other two rules - which make up his basic code of survival - also quickly falls, hurtling him and his new companion on a road leading to shocking secrets, deadly complications, and the last thing Frank ever expected to come to believe: that rules are made to be broken. -- © 20th Century Fox [More]

Starring: Jason Statham, Shu Qi, Matt Schulze, Francois Berleand

Starring: Jason Statham, Shu Qi, Matt Schulze, Francois Berleand, Richard Young, Doug Rand, Didier Saint Melin, Tonio Descanvelle

Director: Corey Yuen

Director: Corey Yuen
Screenwriter: Luc Besson, Robert Mark Kamen
Producer: Steven Chasman, Luc Besson
Composer: Stanley Clarke
Studio: 20th Century Fox

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Reviews for The Transporter

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1 - 20 (sorted by comments; UK critics are listed first)
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If Hollywood's looking for a new action hero, then Jason Statham's their man.

Full Review Source: FilmFour.com | comment Comment
01/21/03
FilmFour.com
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Statham impresses in a movie that is simultaneously the best (the fight scenes) and worst (everything else) action movie of the year. Destined for drunken Friday night rental heaven.

Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
06/01/03
Empire Magazine
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

The acting might be shoddy, the plot nonsense and the dialogue clunky, but the fighting is exquisitely done. Inventive, athletic, fun, stylish and tight, it's everything the rest of the film isn't.

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
02/09/06
Time Out
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Statham employs an accent that I think is supposed to be an attempt at hardass American but sometimes just lapses into unhidden British.

Full Review Source: UK Critic | comment Comment
01/26/03
Ian Waldron-Mantgani
Ian Waldron-Mantgani
UK Critic

This is junk food cinema at its greasiest.

Full Review Source: BBC | comment Comment
12/24/02
Jamie Russell
Jamie Russell
BBC
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Stylish and enjoyable but prone to stupidity.

Full Review Source: ViewLondon | comment Comment
01/18/03
Jane Crowther
Jane Crowther
ViewLondon

'The Transporter isn’t a movie, it’s a catastrophe. Statham looks like a thug and he acts like a tree.'

Full Review Source: Teletext | comment Comment
01/16/03
Paul Arendt
Paul Arendt
Teletext

What a yawn this truly abysmal film is.

Full Review Source: Guardian [UK] | comment Comment
01/20/03
Peter Bradshaw
Peter Bradshaw
Guardian [UK]
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Chases and choreographed fights set to rock music take up most of the running time and the movie is like To Catch a Thief remade by a hack follower of John Woo.

Full Review Source: Observer [UK] | comment Comment
04/16/08
Philip French
Philip French
Observer [UK]

It's still enjoyably watchable and surprisingly unpredictable, with just enough silliness to keep us laughing at it, not with it.

Full Review Source: Shadows on the Wall | comment Comment
11/18/02
Rich Cline
Rich Cline
Shadows on the Wall

There's so much hot Hong Kong-style action, you'll be halfway into the film before you realize that there's hardly any plot.

Full Review Source: E! Online | comment Comment
10/11/02
E! Online
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch | comment Comment
10/11/02
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

If you overlook the rock-stupid story line and one-dimensional characters, The Transporter will take you on the white-knuckle ride it promises.

Full Review Source: Detroit Free Press | comment Comment
10/11/02
Detroit Free Press
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

The Transporter screams its devotion to style over substance with slick action sequences, fast cars and breathtaking stunts. Every scene is designed to feature the next big fight, chase or explosion.

Full Review Source: Miami Herald | comment Comment
10/11/02
Miami Herald
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Boston Phoenix | comment Comment
10/12/02
Boston Phoenix
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Minneapolis Star Tribune | comment Comment
04/08/09
Minneapolis Star Tribune
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Serves up tiresome characters, a reheated narrative and emasculated action sequences.

Full Review Source: eFilmCritic.com | comment Comment
10/12/02
Andrew Howe
Andrew Howe
eFilmCritic.com

There's plenty to like here, especially for connoisseurs of the action genre.

Full Review Source: Salon.com | comment Comment
10/11/02
Andrew O'Hehir
Andrew O'Hehir
Salon.com

Outside of its action concepts, the script by Besson and Robert Mark Kamen ... varies between mediocre and awful.

Full Review Source: Dallas Observer | comment Comment
01/08/03
Andy Klein
Andy Klein
Dallas Observer

It's also clear from the start that The Transporter is running purely on adrenaline, and once the initial high wears off, the film's shortcomings start to shine through.

Full Review Source: Arizona Republic | comment Comment
10/11/02
Bill Muller
Bill Muller
Arizona Republic
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by comments; UK critics are listed first)
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