[KFCC] Transporter, The Review

Story: Frank Martin is an ex-military officer whose current day job is a Transporter. A lone driver and wheelman that carries goods and/or people to wherever, whenever for the right price. Martin's work ethics are governed by a few simple rules that keep his associates and him straight and narrow. But what happens when he breaks the rules and opens one of his employer's packages and finds… a woman named Lai?

Review: No matter how you look at it, THE TRANSPORTER looks and feels like a Luc Besson film. This is due to the fact that Jason Statham jumps into the main role of the anti-hero prototype that Besson has created throughout his career beautifully. It is the many shades of Nikita (LE FEMME NIKITA), Leon (THE PROFESSIONAL), Korben Dallas (THE FIFTH ELEMENT), and even like some of his other produced film characters, Liu Jian (KISS OF THE DRAGON). The template of a persona that is equal parts tough guy and loner all incinerated together, smashed up and chewed out to construct a silver screen samurai that survives after being put to the grindstone time and time again.

These are the type of heroes I love: Ronins on the edge.

Though the cinematic sensibilities may belong to Besson, this does not in any way dismiss the sheer unhinged ingenuity of director, Corey Yuen, whose action choreography provides a napalm of imaginative sequences of military grapples integrated with the usual Yuen inventive martial arts. One amazing scene to look out for is a jet-black oiled Stratham fighting it out slip-and-slide style across a greased floor. It is this lawless, anarchic bullet train choreography that is a fresh, reinvigorated departure from the standard hand-to-hand combat.

If there is one thing to love about "THE TRANPORTER", it is definitely Jason Statham and his ever so apparent British grit. He's like a pair of walking RAYBAN shades, and if you cut him, he'd bleed cool and drip if fresh. He is the type of action star cinema has been missing for the long time now in this post millennium. The Ben Afflecks and the Matt Damons and the Tom Cruises of the world are only snowflakes compared to this pumping powerhouse. In all actuality, there was a time when our cinematic champions were vicious and rugged, hard-bitten warriors who didn't care how good their hairs looked or if their clothes matched. They were men built in the veins of Hemingway, battling as if they were machines. And it is the charisma of Stratham that drives this film into states of utter coolness.

While many will ridicule the acting of Shu Qi and her English, the poor accent is in the context of her character. Her portrayal of Lai is the daughter of a Chinese businessman who sent her to school to learn English. In this circumstance, it is understandable that her English may not be up to par. But the simple fact of the matter is, her English creates many overtly dramatic, clichéd scenes and thus, chips away the seriousness of her character.

Even though the plot and story of "THE TRANSPORTER" rehashes different elements that has made many of Besson's films memorable, there is still a panache of freshness to keep audiences interested, especially in the execution of the car chase scenes and innovative fights. The rapport between Frank Martin and Lai is, sadly enough, not as exciting as it should be, bordering on hilarity for the sole reason of Shu Qi's voice. For those who are used to her Hong Kong roles, her English voice will change the way you possibly see her forever. Nonetheless, THE TRANSPORTER is a fun and crazy actioneer that is just downright infused with enough Parisian mayhem and Hong Kong ballistics to satisfy fans of both Yuen and Besson respectively.