Best in business gets back in game
Photo courtesy Twentieth Century Fox
As Frank Martin, Jason Statham battles to defend his honor and rescue the boy he was hired to protect.
In Transporter 2, Frank Martin (Jason Statham) is a driver by trade who becomes mixed up in an elaborate kidnapping plot involving a young boy named Jack, whom Frank has been driving to school for the last month.
On Frank's last day of service he takes the boy to the doctor's office. Upon arrival, Martin realizes something is wrong at the office and manages to foil a kidnapping attempt.
For readers who have not seen the first movie, Martin, a mercenary, is more of a bodyguard than a "driver," and is charged with the Jack's security during transport.
Those who underestimate the plain, unassuming Martin in this movie tend to be incapacitated soon after.
Two fight scenes and a car chase later, the villains trap Martin and the boy and capture both of them. This results in Martin being wrongly implicated in the kidnapping plot, causing problems for Martin because the boy's father is a high-profile government drug-enforcement official who is also worth over $100 million. As a result he must pull double duty by saving the boy who he promised to protect and evade the police at the same time.
The viewer's first impression of Martin comes in the form of his obsession with his car and his steely, "by-the-rules" demeanor. He teaches Jack his three rules a person must follow upon entering a man's car which include greeting the driver, keeping your feet off of the seat and buckling up.
The car itself is a beautiful black Audi A8. The growl of its W-12 engine made the car chase scenes that much more delightful.
Transporter 2 is an extremely entertaining movie and is so fast-paced that the frequent comic relief gives you a chance to realize that you've been holding your breath.
This movie is overpowered by its fantastically unbelievable action scenes and jaw-dropping fights.
The fact of the matter is that unrealistic is the operative word when it comes to Transporter 2.
Martin's car proves impermeable to any bullets, concrete walls, hard landings and even appears to be scratch resistant. This may prove to be a turn off to those who enjoy at least a little realism in their film-going experience.
One scene has Martin flip the car in an outrageous maneuver to save his own life from a villain's bomb and another scene has him crash a jet ski onto a highway to jump onto a bus and catch a fleeing bad guy.
All the while, Martin stays as immaculate as his car, keeping extra outfits and cell phones in storage compartments in his car.
Car buffs will not be disappointed, especially if you prefer cars of the European persuasion. The movie seems at first like one long commercial for Audi, but a visit to the Italian villain Gianni's fantastic garage dispels that perception.
The final scene takes place in a twelve-cylinder Italian beauty but you have to see the movie to find out more.
One aspect of the film that may make the film more accessible to the general public is the low body count.
Dozens of people are beaten up and injured in this movie but very few die and the few deaths that occur are off-camera. This makes it much easier to enjoy.
