"Transporter" Delivers
by Scott Mantz

"Transporter 2"
Jason Statham, Amber Valletta
Directed by Louis Leterrier

Hell on wheels!  Jason Statham puts the pedal to the metal in "Transporter 2"

As far as movies are concerned, there's no doubt about it, this summer was a bummer.

Not only were admissions down a whopping 10% compared to last year's record-breaking season, but audience members who were brave enough to fight the crowds were subjected to more than 20 minutes of commercial ads before the coming attractions even began. In addition, ticket prices are going through the roof, and concession prices are downright ridiculous. To top it off, cell phones and rude patrons are making it extremely difficult for true movie lovers to sit back and enjoy the show.

Anyway, let's face it, this summer's Hollywood movies haven't exactly been much to write home about (much less write a positive review for) in terms of quality. With a few notable exceptions, particularly "Cinderella Man" and "Batman Begins", it fell to sleeper hits like "Crash," "March of the Penguins" and (of all things) "Wedding Crashers" to give industry pundits something positive to focus on.

At least the fall is starting off with a ball, thanks to "Transporter 2," the action-packed sequel to 2002's surprise worldwide hit. At a time when movies with low prospects are being dumped into theaters while families take the last of their summer vacations, "Transporter 2" is better than most, and it's at least as fun, slick and exciting as its predecessor. Just leave your brain at the door, don't ask too many questions, and have a good time.

Ex-Special Forces operative Frank Martin (Jason Statham) is a top-dollar mercenary who hires himself out to transport special goods ' human or otherwise. Frank relocates from France to Miami to take on his most challenging job yet, driving a 6-year-old boy (Hunter Clary) to and from school every day for his wealthy parents (Matthew Modine and Amber Valletta). Sounds easy enough, but when the boy is kidnapped, Frank must use his combat skills to save him. In the process, he discovers that he is all that stands in the way of the kidnapper's true motive, to use the boy as a conduit to release a deadly virus into the environment.

Though most sequels are notoriously inferior to the movies that inspired them, at least "Transporter 2" succeeds in replicating the qualities that made its predecessor such a solid hit to begin with. Cool car chases, explosive gunfights, impressive martial arts, corny one-liners and tongue-in-cheek humor ' it's all here. Sure, some of the stunt pieces are too far-fetched even by the standards of this genre, but for the type of film it is, "Transporter 2" is really well done.

And it all rests on the very capable shoulders of Jason Statham, who returns as the vigilante hero with a heart of gold. Exuding plenty of cool charm, confidence, mystery and a shred of vulnerability, Statham could easily keep the "Transporter" franchise going as long as he wants the job. Otherwise, suffering mother Amber Valletta (the dead girl from "What Lies Beneath") and sleazy bad guy Alessandro Gassman never rise above being genre cliches (and really, what is Matthew Modine doing here in the first place'), but Francois Berleand's return as Statham's best (and only) friend provides a nice touch of comic relief.

Where most sequels end with moviegoers hoping that it's the end of the franchise, it's a testament to the strength of this film that you hope "Transporter 3" isn't a long way off. Sure, it's not for everybody, but if you're in the mood for a cool, slick, action-packed 90 minute adventure, then "Transporter 2" delivers the goods.

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