"Transporter 2"
** 1/2 Stars
Jason Statham returns as the transporter in a high
energy action film that succeds in the unlikely task of being better
than it's predessor. Not saying much for the original but hey, if you liked the original than this one should be great.
Statham plays, in case you missed the first one, a transporter who
moves anything from guns to people and as a professinal,
he of course has a set of rules in which he can break any time he
pleases because that's the kind of man he is. In the sequel, however,
there
are no rules and a lot more action. This time around, Stratham is
transporting a young 6 year old boy who is son to a wealthy government
offical. Apparently, the transporter is a noble man and it doesn't take
long before he is acting as protector of the boy and a lot of fighting
ensues.
You can't forget Kate Nauta. Ever great comic book hero needs a
femme fatale and Nauta is there to fit that role.
Martial arts coordinator Cory Yuen, who directed the original, takes a back seat and lets Louis
Leterrier sit in and take this movie for a spin. Leterrier gives a
valiant effort, although the fight scenes seem to clash with reality.
Often the script and directing, which calls for computer generated cars
and planes, conflict with the more physical action also taking
place.
Plus Statham is more of a superhero than a regular man. He has powers
like that of other action heros that seem to be able to always defy the
odds and somehow the laws of physics.
Overall, it succeds in spots where the first one failed, and that's
a positive note. However, It doesn't have much of a plot or substance,
but it does have
some excellent stunts and style. If you take this movie for what it is,
which is brainless, popcorn fun, you should walk out satisfied.