- Title: The Transporter
- IMDb: link
Providing Jason Statham with his first action franchise, The Transporter casts him as expert driver Frank Martin who will transport packages (no questions asked) for any client willing to pay his rate and meet his very specific set of rules. Getting in trouble by breaking his own rules by looking in a moving package holding a kidnapped Shu Qi, Frank’s world is soon put in jeopardy by his irate client (Matt Schulze).
Despite some murky script issues including Lai (Shu Qi) constantly lying to Frank for no reason, the film has its share of good stunt driving and fun action sequences. Thrown together against an overwhelming force, the only ally Frank has is a local cop (François Berléand) who knows what Frank does for a living but looks the other way.
Filmed in the south of France, the locations do add to the allure of the film, but you can still see screenwriter Luc Besson and directors Louis Leterrier and Corey Yuen attempting to work out the kinks in the script long after shooting has begun. The film would generate two direct sequels, each with a larger budget and higher box office, along with an attempted reboot and short-lived television series (both without Statham).
