Transporter 3: Review By MovieGuyMatt

Alright, I'd better first fill everyone in on my feelings about the first two of these films before we get into the third one too much. I really really liked the first Transporter; it was fun, entertaining, action-packed, and had a scorching hot damsel in distress.

The second one, on the other hand, was a steaming pile of dung. It was horrid. It was so bad, I am not devoting anymore words to describing its sheer idiocy.

On to Transporter 3. When I heard they were making yet another Transporter film, my first thought was, "Oh God, NO, please no!" After the debacle that was the second film I was very hesitant to sit through another outing with Frank and his souped up Audi. So, needless to say, I went in with a very low expectation.

To my surprise, the action sequences in this flick by Director Olivier Megaton were not orgies of rapid edits and bouts of frantic shaky cam. Nor were they perfect. There were still too many edits for my taste. I like to see the beautiful choreography that these stunt men and women spend so much blood, sweat, and tears trying to perfect. Quick edits tend to make things seem faster, but in my humble opinion, they also make them less impacting.

The story this time around centers mainly on the gimmick of a metal bracelet that has been attached to Frank's wrist quite against his will. The bracelet is filled with a liquid explosive and a transmitter. If Frank gets more than 75 feet from the car, he blows up. I thought this addition was a smart concept. I mean, think about it. We're talking about a film based entirely on the idea that the Protagonist must take something from one place, safely to another place...how many stories can you come up with based on this idea? Adding the exploding bracelet was a fun way to make things more interesting. Aside from this, however, there wasn't a whole lot in the way of story. They did try and get a little deeper this time around, attempting to build a relationship between Jason Statham's character, and the female lead. It was, I thought, a rather ham fisted attempt, and one that was fairly unnecessary.

I really like Jason Statham, and I wish he would be in more great action roles. He seems to have taken up the mantle that we all thought Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and Vin Diesel were going pick up. We NEED a new, young action star for this generation, and it looks as though Statham, might be the one to do it.

Transporter 3 was leaps and bounds above the second film, and in most ways, more like the first. The first film, though, is by far the best of the three, and stands up to multiple viewings. This third installment is worth checking out, but I doubt its something you'll be watching over and over again.