In the south of France, former special-ops mercenary Frank Martin enters into a game of chess with a femme-fatale and her three sidekicks who are looking for revenge against a sinister Russian kingpin. In the south of France, black Ops mercenary Frank Martin is leading a quiet life, living with his father. He gets illegally hired by 3 mysterious women who force him to be the getaway driver for them robbing a bank. Soon he finds the bank they hit was that of a powerful Russian Kingpin who has his father as hostage. Frank must figure out what is going on, clear his name and save his father. The atmosphere the first 'Transporter' has can't be found here. The most important ingredients that made the original one so cool and likable are missing in this one. Without them it's just an ordinary action film and feels disconnected from the previous parts.<br/><br/>The story is believable but it's presented in a way that's dull and not interesting. There are too many action scenes that try to hide the other flaws of the film. The script is full of lines that are supposed to be funny and sound original but they are not. The characters are not developed enough and, therefore, the connection between them is lost. The only actor who makes a good role is Ray Stevenson. Unlike the others, he looks natural and confident with his character.<br/><br/>Something that was missing from this film is the connection between Frank Martin and his car. In the previous parts it felt like they are one, he had rules for others to obey when entering it. Here this connection is lost and Frank doesn't look like a real transporter and, most importantly, the car doesn't feel like a part of the supporting cast but just another vehicle.<br/><br/>The main actor, Ed Skrein, had big shoes to fill and he failed completely because he chose the wrong way and that is to be like Jason Statham. Instead of being creative and contribute to his character by making it interesting in his own way, shaping it in a way that he feels comfortable with he decided to impersonate his predecessor not only in the fight scenes but even in his speaking manner. If he had taken a different path maybe he would have come with something fresh and possible to compare to the original one. But since he didn't comparing the original with its copy is pointless.<br/><br/>Obviously the film was not made with much thought and not surprisingly it's not as good as the previous ones. Frank Martin (Ed Skrein) is the transporter, a professional driver for hire with a personal code. His dad (Ray Stevenson) is a newly retired British secret agent. Frank is hired by Anna (Loan Chabanol) and her three beautiful friends. He gets dragged into a bank heist revenge plot against the Russian mobster who fifteen years earlier had trafficked the girls into sex slavery. When he tries to cancel the deal, they reveal that they have kidnapped his father.<br/><br/>The story is reasonable for a Transporter movie. There are car chases and action fights. It's a little weird that Anna hasn't aged in 15 years. It should be 5 years instead. The missing presence of Jason Statham hangs over this movie. With Statham being so busy and probably much more expansive, replacing him is an understandable move. Luc Besson tries to continue the franchise with newcomer Ed Skrein. He has the Euro-smirk down pat but he can't replace Statham. It's too big of an ask. Besson should have Statham do a cameo to hand off the baton. Ed Skrein could be a disciple or even his little brother. In that way, Statham could always return to the franchise like Vin Diesel returning to the Fast and Furious franchise. At this point, Statham could return only if this movie is forgotten like a bad hangover. Amidst this goofiness, Skrein proves a serviceable Statham replacement, capable of executing elaborate martial arts-inspired fight moves, glowering behind the wheel of his car, and generally acting like a cold, detached thug-for-hire who, deep down, has a heart of gold.
Floriwens replied
365 weeks ago