Transporter 3
Starring Jason Statham, Natalya Rudakova. Written by Luc Besson, Robert Mark Kamen. Directed by Olivier Megaton. (14A) 103 min. Opens Nov 26.
BY Jason Anderson
November 26, 2008 10:11
Several moments of sly self-parody are part of an effort to Crank up the third instalment of this Euro action franchise by emulating the cheekier tone of Jason Statham’s best outing in recent years. Equally shameless is the addition of a sudden-death gimmick — in this case, a metal bracelet that explodes if our intrepid-courier hero Frank Martin gets too far from his beloved black Audi A8.
But Transporter 3 is undone by its overemphasis on a dull romantic subplot (always a weak suit for co-writer and producer Luc Besson) and the wasting of too much valuable time on scenes of guys in expensive suits talking to each other in low voices. Is it too much to ask for another ridiculous car chase or another bout of ass-kicking mayhem, none of which leaves Statham looking the slightest bit put out?
Without them, Transporter 3 feels disappointingly meagre even by the low standard set by its predecessors. No wonder Statham can’t lose his grimace when Frank banters with Valentina (Natalya Rudakova), the daughter of a Ukrainian politician and Frank’s unwilling passenger as they’re chased around Central Europe by various baddies. He seems far happier when in the company of François Berléand, who makes a welcome return as Frank’s inspector pal Tarconi, the Captain Renault to Statham’s stubble-headed Rick. Otherwise, this subpar Statham vehicle will have to do until the Crank sequel arrives in April to truly overload our synapses.
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