TRANSPORTER 2 (2005)

 

Directed By: Louis Leterrier Written By: Luc Besson & Robert Mark Kamen  Cinematography: Mitchell Amundsen Editor: Christine Lucas Navarro & Vincent Tabaillon

Cast: Jason Statham, Amber Valletta, Alessandro Grossman, Kate Nauta, Matthew Modine, Jason Flemyng, Keith David, Francois Baerleand, Annalynne McCord

Transporter Frank Martin surfaces in Miami, Florida, and is implicated in the kidnapping of the young son of a powerful USA official.

Luc Besson is a director who has always flirted with more action-oriented projects as well as his own artistic ones. At a certain point, he seemed to abandon directing films altogether and instead write and produce continuous action films. Leaving the directing to others. Where you wonder if his brand is all over these films and lets up-and-coming directors spearhead the projects. Yet still maintains control.

As he is mroe than capable of directing them himself, maybe even he knows that they are mroe commercial projects and he wants to be seen more as an actual artistic director. Whatever the reasons he has made a fortune from writing and producing these mid-level budget action films that seemed to be everywhere in the 1990s and especially early 2000’s he seems to have set the rules somewhat for modern action cinema that unfortunately isn't made anticipating the future and revising as the years go by More they are trashy and ridiculous yet fun and seek to stick to a formula and offer diversity and international casts.

This film became a franchise. One has to wonder was that always the intended aim to make this into a series of films or did the original make it easy to set up further adventures for the character who helped make Jason Statham An action star. In fact, the plan for most of his action films and scripts is to try to create a franchise and the others don’t do as well.

As there was never a sequel to LA FEMME NIKITA, there was not only a remake but eventually a television series. Which after a few mroe sequels was the same fate of this franchise. Even though Jason Statham only came back to the role to complete the trilogy with the next film in the series. 

This was only the second action film I saw Jason Statham star in after the first film. As I had mainly seen him in films by director Guy Ritchie when he was still making criminal caper films Such as SNATCH and LOCK, STOCK & TWO SMOKING BARRELS though he also was in the similar remake of THE ITALIAN JOB also. 

This franchise is like the character is an underworld James Bond of old. As he is usually somehow double-crossed in his own line of work or is brought into a conspiracy because he cares. Even though he has a supposedly strict set of rules. Yet in each new film, they are mroe stand-alone involving few recurring characters. Though no old girlfriends or attachments. Allowing for romance or sex for him in each new film

When it comes to this film It’s ridiculous, Loud, flashy, and fun full of  jokes and impressive action scenes where Jason Statham barely gets a R.I.P. on his suit 

This film is even filtered to be glossy where almost everyone seems to have a shin sheen of sweat that brings out any bright colors to almost be blindingly obvious 

Kate Nauta makes an impression as the villain's henchwoman lover who seems to be a masochist. She is memorable in the film. One wishes she had been in more films or found a way to bring her back or get a spin-off or action hero series of her own

The film is legitimized by having Matthew Modine in the cast of having an actor who usually doesn’t appear in these types of films. While offering former supermodel Amber valets a role as a maybe love interest and whose scenes are more dramatic 

The film ends up being something that is hard to take seriously. As everything is over the top with the hero being the only one to truly not only save the day but figure things out. But also everyone is disposable especially when it comes to living g or dying except the heroes and villains.

Not o mention the action sequences are a sight to behold as they all truly depend on the fight choreography mroe than anything as the fights include so many people and the only way one can hold off so many are desperate luck and knowing the moves the others will make.

There is So much damage done yet you never question it and just want to see where it goes and how it resolves itself.

Grade: B