My Thoughts on: Transporter 3 (2008)

*warning, minor spoilers for Transporter 3

All too quickly I reached the end of the original Transporter trilogy with Transporter 3. Unlike the other two, I went into this one with a warning. I’d been told by more than a few people that I should avoid this film since it was a step down from Transporter 2. With that thought in mind, I dove in to the film…and was pleasantly surprised.

Perhaps I please far too easily, but I enjoyed Transporter 3. The action has moved back to Europe, Statham is on point as always, and this third entry presents a dangerous wrinkle to the “transport the package from point A to point B” premise that has defined the series. Namely, our favorite transporter has to deal with getting the job done with a powerful explosive strapped to his wrist (a matching one on the package as well), one that will detonate if he gets too far away from the car. It’s already been established that being a transporter is a dangerous occupation, but now Frank Martin has to do his job while being conscious at all times of his proximity to the car, because if he’s not careful he can go BOOM. It’s an ingenious plot device, because it’s easy to forget it until it becomes relevant and then you’re like “Oh sh*t the bomb!”

Another thing I liked about Transporter 3 is watching Frank deal with his latest “package” i.e. Valentina (Natalya Rudakova). In some ways, the interaction reminds me of the interplay between Frank and Lai in the original film (just with more conversation), as Valentina strains Frank’s patience to the absolute limit (a notable example being when she gets high right before a car chase ensues). But one part of the interaction between Frank and Valentina that bothers me is how quickly they appear to develop a relationship. Ever since I was clued in to how unrealistic this is, seeing this in a film has always bothered me. However, even though it does bother me, it doesn’t stop me from enjoying the film, which is otherwise really good.

One last thing that bothers me in this film is some of the things that Frank does with the car. Now, I admit I don’t know too much about cars, but to me it seems highly unlikely that a car could be made to run again (just like that) after falling into a lake. And the odds of a vehicle being able to land on top of a moving train…I know it’s a movie and all, but something about that scene bothered me, so I just wanted to mention it.

Even though this film is 11 years old, I would be more than happy to see Jason Statham play the role of Frank Martin again (let’s just forget the reboot ever happened). Let me know what you think about Transporter 3 in the comments below and have a great day!