Movie Review: The Transporter

The Transporter (2002) 

Directed by Cory Yuen 

Written by Luc Besson, Robert Mark Kamen

Starring Jason Statham, Shu Qui, Ric Young 

Release Date October 11th, 2002 

Published October 10th, 2002 

It is rumored that Die Another Day will be the last Bond film for Pierce Brosnan. Many names have come up as possible replacements. Superstars like Mel Gibson and Matt Damon, lesser knowns such as Clive Owen and Colin Farrell, and some actors are even doing films that seem calculated to make them a candidate for this most coveted role. Such seems the case for Jason Statham in The Transporter. Whether this blithe, quick-paced action picture is meant as a Bond audition is just speculation, but it does raise some eyebrows.

Statham plays Frank, known to his employers only as the transporter, a professional deliverer of packages with extreme circumstances. In the opening scene, we see Frank performing his services for a group of bank robbers. When the robbers attempt to change the deal Frank explains the rules and refuses to move until the deal is met as originally negotiated. The opening scene is a perfect introduction to Frank as a straight-ahead businessman, coldly professional and precise. On Frank’s next job, he transports another package but on his way to the drop-off, Frank breaks one of his rules. He opens the package, which happens to be an Asian girl named Lai (Qiu Shu).

Though troubled by his delivery he follows through, but his employers are upset because he opened the package and they try to kill him. From there, it’s obvious where the film is going. How the film gets where it’s going is more important than where.

Director Corey Yuen sharply films his action scenes, giving Statham every opportunity look cool and kickass. My favorite scene is a fight in a bus depot involving Frank, a group of highly dispensable henchman and a couple barrels of motor oil. Yuen even plays up the James Bond style action with scene that obviously crib from the 007 legend.

The Transporter has it’s share of faults. The score is a horrible techno mélange, the dialogue is typically dumbheaded and plodding and the supporting cast, particularly the bad guys, are poorly drawn and faceless. As I searched IMDB for the name of the main bad guy, I couldn’t even remember the name of the character and thus I don’t know the actor’s name.

So is The Transporter a good screen test for Statham as Bond? Well it couldn’t hurt. No one candidate has emerged so taking a part in a film with many Bond elements is a good introduction to show producers. Though some may say Statham isn’t good looking enough (balding and scruffy), marketers would say he’s “ruggedly handsome.” If anything, The Transporter should be enough to get him on the list.