Transporter 3

Genre - Action
Year Released - 2008
Running Time - 100 minutes
Rated PG-13 (for violence, some sexual content, and drug material)
Directed by Oliver Megaton
Written by Luc Besson (who also wrote - and directed - La Femme Nikita and Leon: The Professional. He also wrote the first two Transporter movies, as well as Unleashed and Kiss of the Dragon - both of which starred Jet Li) and Robert Mark Kamen (who also co-wrote the first two Transporter movies, as well as Kiss of the Dragon. He also wrote Lethal Weapon 3 and The Karate Kid - Parts 1 - 4)
Cast Includes:
Jason Statham (Transporter 1 & 2, Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels, Snatch, The One, The Italian Job - as well as its sequel, The Brazilian Job - coming in 2011, Crank - as well as its sequel, Crank 2: High Voltage, coming out next year. He was also in this year's Re-make of Death Race)
Natalya Rudakova (this is her 1st film)
Francois Berleand (returning as Inspector Tarconi, from Transporter 1 & 2)
Robert Knepper

Rating: 3 Skulls

Plot Summary:
Frank Martin once again puts on his driving gloves in this 3rd installment of the action-packed Transporter series.
This time, Frank is hired to deliver Valentina (the kidnapped daughter of a Ukrainian government official) from Marseilles to Odessa, on the Black Sea. En route, he has to contend with thugs who want to intercept Valentina's safe delivery, and not let his feelings get in the way of his dangerous objective.

Review:
First, I just have to say that if I were to ever need anything "transported/delivered" then Frank Martin would be my man!
I think that Jason Statham is great as an Action Star, and I loved the 1st Transporter and really liked the 2nd one!
[granted the 2nd one was not the most realistic film out there, but still - while not as good as the 1st one - it was still a fun ride!]

This one. . . not so much.
Now, don't get me wrong - I was definitely entertained, it's just that it felt wrong somehow. I mean, they had Frank breaking his own rules, for cryin' out loud! [I know he has before, but not like this!] This movie pushed too hard, trying to forge a relationship between Frank & Valentina [to me, once you've had Qi Shu, ~ Lai, from the 1st Transporter and Lynn, from So Close ~ aka the hottest Asian female on the planet! then a girl with freckles all over her face just isn't going to cut it! And it isn't just about looks, Valentina is a royal pain in the you know what!]

As for the action - as you can see in the below pic, nothing new really - just your typical Cory Yuen choreography - not that his choreography isn't amazing, it just seems that we have seen all these moves before. . .

To me, aside from Statham being "the man!" Robert Knepper, as the villain, was absolutely superb! I enjoyed every scene that he was in!

[I almost wanted to see him succeed]

I also enjoyed the whole bracelet aspect - Frank not being able to move beyond 75 feet from his car - that made for some interesting moments, though in one chase scene, I think that they forgot that rule!

[Speaking of one scene - remember that scene from Transporter 2, yeah you know the one. . . where there's a bomb underneath Frank's car, and he flips it underneath a giant magnet. . . well, while not as unrealistic as that scene, there is a scene in this one that made me think C'Mon!]

If you enjoy the 1st two, then this one is watchable, though it is nothing that you need to see in the theatre - definitely a wait for DVD

Here's the Trailer:

Jason