Transporter 3

Transporter 3 is rated PG-13: for sequences of intense action and violence, some sexual content and drug material.

I don't know what it is about a tight-lipped scowl that is supposed to be appealing, but it's a look that seems to be working for Jason Statham. Although not as well established as the 007 series, his Bond-like character, Frank Martin, is back for a third installment of the Transporter franchise.

After the death of his friend (David Atrakchi), Frank is coerced into carrying a special package from Marseilles to Odessa. Waking up in a sterile cell, the transporter, who's been shanghaied by an American criminal named Johnson (Robert Knepper), finds himself cuffed with an explosive-laden bracelet that blows up if he gets too far away from his beloved BMW. Frank is also saddled with a sullen passenger -- the kidnapped daughter of a high-ranking official. Like her chauffeur, Valentina (Natalya Rudakova) is sporting a similar accessory that keeps her from wandering. In addition to the transmitter that monitors the wristbands, Johnson has outfitted Frank's car with all the latest GPS gadgets to ensure the gruff ex-special forces operator doesn't detour from his assignment.

Yet this delivery job is only one cog in a bigger scheme of governmental blackmail that involves Leonid Vasilev (Jeroen Krabbé), the Head of the Environmental Protection Agency for the Ukraine. Working on a tight schedule, Frank, with the help of his friend Inspector Tarconi (François Berléand) of the Marseilles police department, tries to stay one step ahead of another gang of gun-toting thugs who are tailing him and Valentina as they make their way across the continent.

Like the previous pair of films (The Transporter and Transporter 2), this mission is bloated with gunfire, dead bodies (nearly two dozen by my count) and explosive car crashes. Intense scenes of hand-to-hand combat between the stoic operative and a mob of wrench-wielding brutes combine with tire-screeching dashes through the narrow European streets. While the martial arts choreography by Corey Yuen and the stunt driving feats by Brieann Rich and Nicholas Rich will wow audiences, they are also void of any consequences or reality -- just the kind of thing teens and young adults will likely find appealing about this balding but buff tough guy's operation.

Breaking his cardinal rule of never getting involved with his cargo, Frank also strips off his expensive suit coat and tie for more than just a fight in this film. Yet the reason he would let a whiney little waif bully him into undressing when he can take on an army of heavies single-handedly is never exposed (unlike his chest).

Mixing up a toxic concoction of violence, profanities and illegal drugs combined with vodka, Transporter 3's driver-for-hire delivers a rough ride for any family viewers who unwittingly haul themselves into his theater for an evening of entertainment.

Studio: 2008 Lions Gate Films. Visit the official movie site.

Wearing only a skimpy party dress, Valentina is a morose fare who combines illegal party drugs with swigs of vodka to deal with her situation. Coming off a high, she persuades Frank to undress and engage in sexual activity. Brief homosexual and sexually-oriented comments are made. Implied sex follows a scene of passionate kissing. The fumes from a barrel of toxic waste burn men’s faces and bodies. Terrorists kidnap a hostage and attempt to blackmail government officials. A car crashes through the wall of a home leaving the passengers injured. Several characters later die in the explosion of an emergency vehicle. Numerous scenes of intense hand-to-hand combat (often with weapons or mechanic’s tools) are seen. Characters are frequently beaten, shot at, blown up or threatened. Characters are outfitted with explosive devices. Cars are driven recklessly. One speeds off a cliff and explodes with passengers inside. Repeated uses of a strong expletive and a crude hand gesture are used along with profanities and infrequent terms of Christian Deity. Infrequent depictions of alcohol and cigarette use are seen.

Although the Inspector knows about Frank’s day job, why does he turn a blind eye to his activities? In what other ways does this script excuse the moral ambiguity of Frank’s actions?

Do you agree with Valentina that Frank is more afraid to live than to die? What accounts for his optimism?

How can shared experiences build camaraderie between strangers? How can traumatic or disastrous events accelerate that solidarity?

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Actor Matt Damon has his own action-packed trilogy under his belt in his role as Jason Bourne, a trained killer who has lost all recollection of his past in the Bourne Identity, Bourne Supremacy and Bourne Ultimatum.

Transporter 3 releases to DVD in a single and double disc set. The 1-Disc version offers the movie in full frame or widescreen, along with the theatrical trailer. The 2-Disc version (only available in widescreen) provides these extra bonus materials: an audio commentary by Director Olivier Megaton, featurettes (Special Delivery: Transporters in the Real World, Jason Statham on TRANSPORTER 3 and the Making of TRANSPORTER 3), glimpses behind the scenes (Storyboards, Sets/Production Design, and Special FX) and a digital copy of the film. Both editions come with audio tracks in Dolby Digital 5.1 (English) and subtitles in English and Spanish.

Transporter 3 is also available in Blu-ray Disc. This package includes the same extras as the 2-Disc DVD set. Audio tracks are recorded in DTS HD Master Audio (English) and Dolby Digital 5.1 (French), with subtitles in English, French and Spanish.