Product Description

Robert Knepper, Jason Statham, Francois Berleand, Natalya Rudakova, Jeroen KrabbeDirector: Olivier Megaton

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #3296 in DVD
• Brand: Blu-ray Action & Adventure
• Released on: 2009-04-20
• Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
• Format: PAL
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .26 pounds
• Running time: 104 minutes

Synopsis
Combining Western-style car chases and Hong Kong-inspired fight sequences choreographed by martial arts legend Cory Yuen, the Luc Besson-created TRANSPORTER films have found international success as a sort of working-class James Bond series. Jason Statham, who has become the go-to guy for big-budget B-movie thrills, returns once again as Frank Martin, the driver-for-hire for whom no job is too risky. Brimming with the usual jaw-dropping stunts, this is another crowd-pleasing entry in the saga, delivered at a brisk and flashy clip by director Olivier Megaton. Following the coercion of Ukrainian environmental official Leonid Vasilev (Jeroen Krabbe) into signing papers permitting the shipping of toxic materials into a harbour by criminal mastermind Johnson (Robert Knepper), Frank Martin is forced into accepting the job of driving Vasilev's kidnapped daughter, Valentina (Natalya Rudakova)--acting as human collateral--from Marseilles to the Black Sea coastal city of Odessa. On the chance the Martin should attempt to flee, Johnson has rigged him with a bracelet that will detonate if he strays more than 75 feet from his car. When Valentina is intercepted by a rival group, Martin will have to push his Audi M8 to the limit to complete his mission and ensure his own survival.


The TRANSPORTER films require copious amounts of suspension of disbelief, but then again, one doesn't hope they will strictly adhere to the laws of physics. The third volume provides ample thrills, not the least of which is the sight of a car driving off a bridge onto a moving train. Plenty of screen time is also given to Statham's superhumanly chiselled torso, while freckled Rudakova's unconventional beauty balances out the sex appeal. In the end, Statham's undeniable likeability propels the film, and his chemistry in a handful of scenes with François Berleand, returning as Inspector Tarconi, provides some nice comic moments.

Customer Reviews

Good but the weakest of the lot.
We may as well get it out of the way, if you liked the first 2 movies and Crank, then you'll probably like this, at the same time knowing its not as good as the previous 2.

The plot is fairly simple and nothing more than throwaway fluff. He must Transport a package and accompanying him upon his travels is a girl, and if either of them stray to far from the car then the bracelets they're wearing explode. So they've tried to add a new ingredient to the formula but it doesnt really make that much of a difference. In truth its only really utilised in 2 scenes.

Many people find his companion in this one annoying, but I thought she was okay. Rumours are that Statham wasnt happy with a previous director calling the character the first gay action hero, and the girl was put added to expel that myth. At one point she even asks "are you the gay?".

The rest is most of what you've came to expect. Again his shirt comes off during a fight sequence, some cool car chases, and some suspension of disbelief.

A mention should go to the main bad guy in this movie who most people will know as T-bag from Prison Break. He showed so many aspects of his character during 4 seasons of the show that there is nothing new to see, but he is still very good as the charismatic and ruthless business man, and its good to see him getting more big screen time.

The main negative for this movie is the Director who seems incapable of filming anything without multiple angles and numerous camera cuts. As a result a lot of the action and quality fight sequences end up being missed as its just too hard to focus. Just as you struggle to come to terms with the new camera angle it changes again a second later. Case in point a scene were Statham is just walking down the middle of a train, and I mean just walking, had something like 20+ cuts, and that was in like 30 seconds. It really does ruin the movie to a degree as most of it is pointless.

Frank's Back
I usually don't like sequels for the sake of them, and usually get annoyed when I hear Luc Besson has written yet another sequel, like he did with Taxi, but as I'm quite a fan of the franchise I was ready to give this a go, and now that Jason Statham (The Bank Job, Death Race) is making quite an impact, I thought I'd give it a go.

For me, this was better than Transporter 2, the action was vivid, quick and fluid, rather than the stop/start of the second instalment; plus I liked the girl in this movie better than that Lola, who was just annoying. Jason is still on top form as Frank Martin, the well-dressed courier who doesn't ask questions - and shows why so many directors are after him for their macho roles. His energy is omnipresent most of the time, and he shows his class and whit as he makes his enemies look foolish.

Good to see the French detective back - Inspector Tarconi - he is always very funny, as he tries to help Frank deliver his goods before the armageddon starts. Personally I didn't like Valentina much, but it's great that she isn't just some sort of arm candy for Frank, and she plays a bigger role than he cares to think about.

Yes, the storyline is weak, but the action, pace and camera work paid off for me, but then again I'm a bit biased. I can see why people are not too pleased with this film, the chases in the south of France look recycled, and the fact Frank doesn't really get hurt just makes this feel very unrealistic and like he's some sort of immortal human, which people don't take too well too, except if you're McClaud in Highlander. Full credit has to go to the cinematographer for this - it's sleek, fun and well shot. Yes, the 300 changes during the train scene made me dizzy, but the ordeal would make you feel queezy too, so it's a good sensory device.

The Blu-Ray is amazing, clear as a bell, and well devised. The BD50 really pays off here, and the smooth video just makes this feel like a cinematic visit, rather than your TV at home. The colours are well mixed and saturate nicely on-screen; the mixture makes it look real rather than tainted by the in-colour the director thinks will be cool this month. The bitrate is never low and shows the full chaos on screen. The soundtrack is pretty good too, LPCM audio, or TrueHD, you take your pick. So far, I used the LPCM and was quite happy with it, although the volume had to be quite high to get a good sound from it - saying that though, the quality is amazing and explosions send you into a sheer panic, until you realise it's all just a movie. There are only English subtitles and audio, so if you're not advanced in English, you may struggle, but not to a point where you'll be lost. The feature is presented in 2.35:1, which works nicely, just like it was in cinemas.

The extras are not bad either, looks like Icon have really pushed the boat out, we get a "making of", which is about an hour long, and explains many of the effects; there's commentary from French director Olivier Megaton - which does give a lot of insight. You also get storyboards, car stunts, production design and special FX featurettes, where Olivier Megaton discusses his decisions. It's a really good package altogether, and adds around 2hrs extra footage to the blu-ray.

Altogether this is a good solid transfer, with all the stops put out aurally and visually, and the extras are strong. If you enjoy this type of movie, you should go for it, it's up your street, otherwise, consider renting it.

Highly recommended.

A mindless bit of fun!
As with the first two films this is an action packed thrill ride. Jason Statham plays a good action hero, plenty of action, hot women and fast cars. The perfect film or the guys on a Friday night, all you need is a few beers and a pizza and VOILA, the perfect night in.