Overall Rating
 Awesome: 1.03%
Worth A Look: 41.24%
Average: 32.99%
Pretty Bad: 10.31%
Total Crap: 14.43%
9 reviews, 43 user ratings
|
|
| Transporter 2 |
by Brian McKay
"A prime example of sequel overkill, but still a good deal of fun"
|
When it comes to action movies and their sequels, you can always count on things being turned up a notch in the subsequent installment. TRANSPORTER 2 doesn't deviate from this formula one bit, but despite the laughably cheap-looking CGI, the run-of-the-mill plot, and two-dimensional characters, the over-the-top violence and Jason Statham's charisma are TRANSPORTER 2's saving graces.Having moved on from his French beach house and hot Chinese sidekick/love interest (Qi Shu) from the last movie, we now find Frank Martin (Statham) working in Miami as a driver/bodyguard for the young son of the U.S. Drug Czar (Matthew Modine). Although it's only a temporary gig, as Martin takes over the chauffer duties for a vacationing friend, he has nevertheless grown fond of the precocious boy. So when the little lad ends up getting kidnapped by a ruthless latino thug with really bad teeth (Allesandro Gassman) and his racoon-eyed heroin-chic skanky assassin girlfriend Lola (Kate Nauta, who struts around the entire movie wearing nothing but lingerie and a pair of machine pistols) - well, God help these stock movie villains, because Frank made a promise to the wee tyke that he'd never let anyone hurt him, and if nothing else, Frank Martin is a man of his word!
Yeah, I know - blah blah blah. I don't watch porn for the plot, and the same principle applies here. When there's not a beatdown or a car chase going on, TRANSPORTER 2 meanders into some pretty melodramatic filler scenes. Thankfully, however, the filler is kept to a minimum this time around, as TRANSPORTER 2 boasts more and better action sequences and car chases than its forerunner. Although most of these showcase some ludicrous and impossible feats, it's all done with a bit of a wink and a nudge. Corey Yuen, who directed the previous film, stays on as fight choreographer, delivering a series of giddy beatdown sessions that culminate in the aready-famous-from-the-trailers "firehose" scene. Only in the end does the action sag, as the two main villains are dispatched in a rather boring and anti-climactic manner - but with all the delicious smackdowns leading up to their demise, it doesn't feel like too big of a cheat. If, like me, you went for one thing and one thing only, you won't walk away feeling too disappointed.
There's also a bit of fun from the returning character of Inspector Tarconi (Francois Berleand), who played Martin's friend/confidante in the last film. I don't know if it's his English speaking abilties (In the last film he was damn near incomprehensible) or his character's dialogue that have improved since the last movie, but he contributes a lot more comic relief this time around as the vacationing police inspector who comes to Miami and ends up getting arrested at Martin's house when the feds come looking for Martin.If you can get past the hammy acting, the impossible scenarios, and the budget CGI, you just may enjoy TRANSPORTER 2 for exactly what it is - a vehicle for Statham to drive fast cars and beat the hell out of people. Considering that he does both often, and with a cocksure sense of style, TRANSPORTER 2 provides a much-needed fix for action fans who have been stuck in the late summer doldrums.
link directly to this review at http://www.efilmcritic.com/review.php?movie=13006&reviewer=258
originally posted: 09/07/05 02:54:52
![[printer]](/images/icon/printer.gif) printer-friendly format
|
 |
USA
02-Sep-2005 (PG-13)
DVD: 10-Jan-2006
UK
N/A
Australia
29-Sep-2005
|
|
Articles 
subscribe to this feed![[AllPosters.com]](/images/icon/ap.gif){kind=icon}
