Transporter 2

Starring: Jason Statham, Alessandro Gassman, & Amber Valletta

Rating: 3 1/2 out of 5 stars

It was that kind of week, with finals over and the pressure off, I just wanted to see things blow up and bodies fly, Transporter 2 was perfect for that. Once again, we have a Statham movie, where the story isn't the focus and doesn't matter much at all. The allure of this film is the terrific characters created by Luc Besson. The mysterious driver with OCD is back, but is well into his retirement. Instead of helping the bad guys get away, Frank Martin (Statham) is driving rich people around, but he's forced into action when their young son is kidnapped. The story here is somewhat simplistic, but the bad guys are as creative as you will ever see in this type of film. I'm not sure where they found Alessandro Gassman and Amber Valletta, but they were so much fun to watch. He is a self-obsessed drug lord, with ridiculous moves, and big plans, while she is a deadly assassin, whose ability with a gun would put John Wayne and Clint Eastwood to shame. When Statham is added to the mix, you have the perfect formula for one intense movie. Transporter 2 was terrific in that it never stops moving and you will see things you never thought were possible outside of CGI, it was unbelievably entertaining. From the stand point of a film aficionado, while these amazing moves and characters make for a lot of fun, the story and dialogue are severely lacking. This film is not for people looking for a great story or loveable characters, it's made for adrenaline junkies who want to see explosions, long fight scenes, and intense thematic action. If you're all about the action, you won't find much better than this, but if you want there to be some greater purpose, a worth-while cause to fight for, or want to see the world become a better place because of all that happened, you'll be disappointed.