Jason Statham, star of The Transporter, is good. Not only
does he have that cool accent, but he's a convincing martial artist as
well. If you like action films, this one is worth checking out. The
fight scenes are shot well, exciting, and fun to watch -- repeatedly.
There are a number of extras on the DVD, but the commentary which
features Jason Statham actually makes it worth watching the film again.
He's funny and contributes interesting tidbits about the film. There
are very few audio commentaries which the Masked Reviewer can tolerate
through a repeated viewing of a movie, but Statham's commentary is what
DVD audio commentary should be.
Another extra features some extended fight scenes, but the Masked
Reviewer couldn't really see that much of a difference between what was
in the film and what was cut out. There's supposedly fifteen extra
minutes of fighting, but nothing is as life-changing as the fight
choreographer would have you believe. Everyone who talked about the
deleted scenes seemed adamant that they were much better and added a
lot. Perfectionists, one imagines.
That's not to say that the fight scenes aren't great...it's powerful,
fast action and a great mixture of excellent martial arts, cool gun
play, and awesome car stunts.
The acting is solid, especially for an action film. Jason Statham, in
addition to being impressive physically and convincing in his martial
arts, is a fine actor. The supporting roles are all fun to watch as
well, from friendly French police chief Francois Berleand and sexy
damsel Qi Shu. Matt Schulze is a compellingly evil scumbag (his
character, not him personally).
The driving stunts at the beginning of the film will make you wish you
hadn't decided against becoming a getaway driver.
This is a good DVD to have in your collection of action flicks. The
cinematography is great with good colors, the sound is impressive, and
it's fun to kick back and watch.
There are a few versions of this DVD. The latest, released 08/23/05 is
the "Special Delivery Edition", not to be confused with the "Special
Edition". The two versions are identical, except for bonus material
related to the upcoming Transporter 2 -- the 15 minutes of extra footage
and
commentary tracks are the same as found on the regular "Special
Edition." The cover art isn't as exciting on the "Special Delivery
Edition" either.
The sequel is coming soon! Good news for anyone who likes a fun action
flick.
DVD Extra Features: Extended fight scenes, audio commentary
that's funny and interesting. Special Delivery Edition has preview
material from Transporter 2.
Expectation from the Title: A documentary about how people get
around in "Star Trek".
Mother's Rule (Always Say Something Good About Everything):
Jason Statham was very polite to the young Asian woman.
The Pros: Good fights, fun acting, nice stunts.
The Cons: No nudity.