Transporter 3
| Transporter 3 | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Olivier Megaton |
| Written by | Luc Besson Robert Mark Kamen |
| Produced by | Luc Besson Steve Chasman |
| Starring | Jason Statham Francois Berleand Robert Knepper Natalya Rudakova |
| Cinematography | Giovanni Fiore Coltellacci |
| Edited by | Camille Delamarre Carla Rizzo |
| Music by | Alexandre Azaria |
| Distributed by | EuropaCorp Lionsgate 20th Century Fox (United Kingdom) |
Release dates | November 26, 2008 (USA) December 5, 2008 (UK) |
| Country | France |
| Language | English |
Transporter 3 is a 2008 action film, and is the third installment in the Transporter film series, as well as the first not to be distributed by 20th Century Fox in the United States. Both Jason Statham and Francois Berleand reprised their roles, as Frank Martin and Tarconi, respectively. This is the first film in the series to be directed by Olivier Megaton. The film continues the story of Frank Martin, a professional "transporter" who has returned to France to continue his low-key business of delivering packages without questions.
Plot
Frank Martin (Jason Statham) has been pressured into transporting Valentina (Natalya Rudakova), the kidnapped daughter of Leonid Vasilev (Jeroen Krabbe), through the use of a device attached to his wrist which will explode if Frank goes more than 75 feet from his car. Vasilev is the head of the Environmental Protection Agency for Ukraine. He must travel from Marseilles through Stuttgart and Budapest until he ends up in Odessa on the Black Sea. With the help of Inspector Tarconi (Francois Berleand), Frank must contend with the people who strong-armed him into taking the job, agents sent by Vasilev to intercept him, and the general non-cooperation of his passenger. Despite Valentina's cynical disposition and Frank's resistance to get involved, Frank and Valentina fall for each other, while escaping from one life-threatening situation after another. Statham again drives an armored Audi A8 W12 in the film.
Cast
- Jason Statham as Frank Martin
- Francois Berleand as Inspector Tarconi
- Natalya Rudakova as Valentina Vasilev
- Justin Rodgers Hall as Horatio[1]
- Eriq Ebouaney as Ice[1]
- Robert Knepper as Johnson
- Jeroen Krabbé as Leonid Vasilev
- David Atrakchi as Malcom Manville
Production
Shooting was initially expected to last for 16 weeks, in France and Russia. It was also filmed in Odessa, Ukraine.[2]
Reception
The film has received mostly mixed reviews from critics. As of December 10, 2008, the film holds a score of 36% and an average rating of 4.8 out of 10 on the website Rotten Tomatoes, based on 95 reviews. The consensus stated that the film is a "middling installment in the Transporter franchise that is a few steps down from its predecessors, featuring generic stunts and a lack of energy."[3] On Metacritic, the film currently has a score of 51%, based on 26 reviews, while the average rating from users of the site is currently an 6.2 out of 10, based on 13 votes.[4]
References
- ^ a b IMDb profile
- ^ Statham revs up 'Transporter 3' Variety (magazine). February 25, 2008. Retrieved February 26, 2008.
- ^ [1]
- ^ http://www.metacritic.com/film/titles/transporter3
