Review: Transporter 2 (2005)

Directed by: Louis Leterrier | 87 minutes | action, crime, thriller | Actors: Jason Statham, Alessandro Gassman, Amber Valletta, Kate Nauta, Matthew Modine, Jason Flemyng, Keith David, Hunter Clary, Shannon Briggs, François Berléand, Raymond Tong, George Kapetan, Jeff Chase, Gregg Weiner, Gregg Davis

‘Transporter 2’ is an action movie, and unlike many others in this genre, the movie tries to be nothing more than this. No attempt at a well thought out story, no humor, drama or romance, no surprising plot twists and no high expectations of the actors. Making an entertaining action movie is hard enough. ‘Transporter 2’ succeeds completely, with fun fight scenes, exciting chases and stuffed with stunts, the hour and a half fly by and you can leave the cinema seat satisfied during the credits.

Jason Statham has the lead role, just like in ‘Transporter’. Statham has few facial expressions, but he has mastered those of a tough action hero. Mentioned in the same breath with Matt Damon as the next generation of action heroes, Statham has a reputation to uphold. The fact that, unlike Damon, he cannot handle other genres does not seem to interest him and why should it, in films like ‘Transporter’ he can play the heroic dry ass to his heart’s content. Maybe it’s because the budget ran out, maybe because Jason seems like a better actor by comparison, pretty much the rest of the cast is a mess. In particular the femme fatale, a role by Amber Valletta, turns out to have as much acting talent as clothes. Armed only with lingerie and two automatic pistols, whose bullets don’t seem to run out, she knows how to wrong every dialogue. The lack of clothes suggests that a certain target group has been targeted, an image that is confirmed by the number of men and the absence of women in the cinema.

The plot is written around the action and not the other way around. Already in the opening scene, where a group of gangsters try to steal our transporter’s car, it is clear that more attention has been paid to depicting all the blows than adding logic. The only thing to find fault with all that action is the unbelievability of the whole. An example for illustration. Jason Statham sees a bomb hanging under his car. Instead of getting out, he drives very fast with his four-wheeler over a nice sloping ramp, so that his car turns 180 degrees in the air. Coincidentally, a large hook of a crane hangs in the air where the bomb gets caught, the car turns the other 180 degrees and lands safely on all wheels again.

This sequel to ‘Transporter’ delivers exactly what the viewer expects: a hero, a villain, lots of combat, fast cars, flying bullets and explosions. Great evening of entertainment for the gentlemen and maybe for the ladies who like Jason Statham.