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| alt = A white man in a black suit holds two guns on a white backdrop that has a band of orange. The words "The Transporter" is overlaid in the middle of the picture. | alt = A white man in a black suit holds two guns on a white backdrop that has a band of orange. The words "The Transporter" is overlaid in the middle of the picture.
| caption = Theatrical release poster | caption = Theatrical release poster
| director = {{Plainlist|
| director = ]{{efn|The film was co-directed by ], who was credited as artistic director.}}
* ]{{efn|name=fn1|The American release credits ] as director, who served as fight choreographer, and is credited as such in other territories, while Leterrier is credited as "artistic director".}}
* ]
}}
| producer = {{Plainlist| | producer = {{Plainlist|
* Luc Besson * Luc Besson
* Stephen Chasman * Stephen Chasman
}} }}
| screenplay = {{Plainlist| | screenplay = {{Plainlist|
* ] * ]
* ] * ]
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* ] * ]
* ] * ]
* ]
}} }}
| music = ] | music = {{Plainlist|
* ]
* ]
}}
| cinematography = ] | cinematography = ]
| editing = Nicolas Trembasiewicz | editing = Nicolas Trembasiewicz
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* ] * ]
* Current Entertainment * Current Entertainment
* ] * ]
}} }}
| distributor = {{Plainlist| | distributor = {{Plainlist|
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| language = English | language = English
| budget = $20.5 million<ref name="jpbo">{{cite web|url=http://jpbox-office.com/fichfilm.php?id=1811|title=The Transporter (2002)|work=JP's Box-Office|access-date=14 March 2018}}</ref><br> | budget = $20.5 million<ref name="jpbo">{{cite web|url=http://jpbox-office.com/fichfilm.php?id=1811|title=The Transporter (2002)|work=JP's Box-Office|access-date=14 March 2018}}</ref><br>
| gross = $43.9 million<ref name=mojo>{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=transporter.htm |title=The Transporter |access-date=10 October 2012 |publisher=]}}</ref> | gross = $43.9 million<ref name="mojo">{{cite web |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=transporter.htm |title=The Transporter |access-date=10 October 2012 |website=] }}</ref>
}} }}


'''''The Transporter''''' (French: '''''Le Transporteur''''') is a 2002 English-language French ] directed by ] from a screenplay by ] and ]. The film was inspired by the short film series '']''. It is the first installment in the ] and stars ], alongside ], ], ], and ]. In the film, ], a British mercenary driver living in France, finds himself involved in a ] plot. '''''The Transporter''''' (French: '''''Le Transporteur''''') is a 2002 English-language French ] directed by ] and ]{{efn|name=fn1}} from a screenplay by ] and ]. It is the first installment in the ] and stars ] in the title role, alongside ], ] and ]. In the film, ], a British mercenary driver living in ], finds himself involved in a ] plot.


''The Transporter'' premiered at the ] in ] on 2 October 2002 and was first theatrically released in the United States on 11 October by ], and in France on 23 October by ]. It received mixed reviews from critics with praise for its action sequences and Statham's performances. It grossed $43.9 million worldwide and was followed by the sequel '']'' (2005). ''The Transporter'' premiered at the ] in ] on 2 October 2002 and was first theatrically released in the United States on 11 October by ], and in France on 23 October by ]. It received mixed reviews from critics with praise for its action sequences and Statham's performance. It grossed $43.9 million worldwide and was followed by a sequel, '']'', in 2005.


== Plot == == Plot ==
Frank Martin is a former ] soldier and now highly skilled driver/mercenary residing in southern ] whose callsign is ''The Transporter''. He strictly follows three rigid rules when transporting: ] is a highly skilled driver for less-than-legal jobs in southern ] who follows three strict rules:


#Never change the deal. #Never change the deal.
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#Never open the package. #Never open the package.


In ], Frank is hired to transport three bank robbers with his black ], but they hoist a fourth man in his car after the robbery. Explaining the extra weight will affect his precisely planned getaway, he refuses to drive until, in desperation, the leader kills one of his men who is pushed out of the car. Later, they offer more money for Frank to drive them to ]. He refuses the deal. The robbers escape in another car, but are foiled by their amateur driving. At Frank's villa on the ], local ] Inspector Tarconi questions Frank about the black BMW that fled the scene of the robbery which Frank was the getaway driver. In ], Frank is hired as the getaway driver for three bank robbers, but they have brought a fourth man. Explaining that the extra weight will affect his precisely planned escape, Frank refuses to drive until, in desperation, the leader kills and abandons one of his men. After evading police in a high-speed chase, the leader offers Frank more money to drive them to ], but he refuses; the robbers flee in another car, but are foiled by their amateur driving. At Frank's villa on the ], local ] Inspector Tarconi questions him about his black ], seen at the scene of the robbery, but Frank has carefully disposed of all evidence.


Lacking any real proof, Tarconi leaves. Frank is then hired to deliver a package of {{convert|50|kg|lb}} to an American, Darren "Wall Street" Bettencourt. The package is loaded into Frank's trunk. While changing a flat tire, Frank notices the package moving. Realizing a person is inside, he violates his third rule in order to give the person something to drink. He discovers a woman, tied up and gagged. She attempts to escape but Frank recaptures her and returns her to the trunk along with two policemen who spot them. Frank delivers the package to Wall Street as promised and agrees to another job, transporting a briefcase. As Frank stops to buy drinks for the cops in his trunk, a bomb hidden in the briefcase explodes. Frank is hired to deliver a {{convert|50|kg|lb}} package to American client Darren "Wall Street" Bettencourt. While changing a flat tire, Frank realizes the package contains a person; he violates his third rule in order to give the captive something to drink, and discovers a woman bound and gagged. She attempts to escape, but Frank recaptures her and is forced to subdue two policemen who spot them. Frank delivers her to Wall Street as promised, and is given a briefcase to transport. As Frank stops to buy drinks for the cops in his trunk, a bomb in the briefcase explodes.


Out for vengeance, Frank returns to Wall Street's villa where he kills and wounds several henchmen. Frank then steals a car (a ]) to get away, only to find "the package" bound and gagged in the back seat. He brings the young woman, whose name is Lai, back to his house. Wall Street visits one of his surviving men in hospital in order to determine who attacked his residence, before killing the man after discovering that Frank is alive. The next day, Tarconi arrives and asks about Frank's car, which Frank claims was stolen. Lai supports Frank's alibi by introducing herself as his new cook and girlfriend. Tarconi again leaves with no concrete evidence. Shortly after, Wall Street's hitmen fire ] and ] down on the house. A vengeful Frank returns to Wall Street's villa, killing several henchmen and stealing a ], only to find "the package" hiding in the back seat. He brings the young woman, Lai, to his home, where she discovers he is a decorated former ] soldier. Wall Street visits one of his surviving men in hospital, killing him after discovering Frank is alive. Tarconi questions Frank about the bombing of his car, which Frank claims was stolen, and Lai supports his alibi by introducing herself as his girlfriend. Tarconi leaves, and Wall Street's men attack the house with ] and ], but Frank and Lai narrowly escape through an underwater passage to a nearby safe house where Lai seduces Frank.


Frank and Lai barely escape through an underwater passage to a nearby safe house. Later, while being questioned at the police station, Lai accesses Tarconi's computer to find information on Wall Street. Frank, presumed dead by Wall Street, wants to rebuild his villa and start a new life and advises Lai to do so too before she tells him that Wall Street is a ] with 400 Chinese trapped in shipping containers, including her family. Lai and Frank go to Wall Street's office, where Wall Street reveals that Lai's father, Mr. Kwai, is also a human trafficker and Wall Street's partner in crime. Kwai arrives and his henchmen subdue Frank. When Tarconi arrives, Kwai and Wall Street accuse Frank of kidnapping Lai. Later, while being questioned at the police station by Tarconi, Lai accesses his computer to find information on Wall Street. She reveals that he is a ] with 400 Chinese immigrants trapped in shipping containers, and Frank reluctantly agrees to help. They confront Wall Street at his office, where Lai's father, Mr. Kwai, is revealed to be his partner in crime. Tarconi arrives as Wall Street subdues Frank and accuses him of kidnapping Lai, and Frank is arrested.


Tarconi has Frank arrested and locked up in the station. Realizing that Frank would not be constrained by search warrants and that he would be able to solve the case faster than the police, Tarconi agrees to aid Frank's escape as his faux hostage and releases him at the harbour of ]. Frank then tracks the criminals to the docks in Marseille, where they load the containers onto trucks. However, Frank is spotted and forced to fight his way through the guards, and fails to stop the trucks. He then steals an old car and makes chase at dawn before it breaks down on a small country road. He then commandeers a small airplane from a farmer and follows the highway to the trucks where he parachutes onto one of them. Tarconi suggests Frank take matters into his own hands, posing as his hostage to allow him to escape police custody. Recovering a weapons stash from his boat at the harbour of ], Frank tracks the criminals to the Marseille docks, where the containers full of people depart on trucks. Chased to a bus depot, Frank fights his way through the thugs in a motor oil-drenched melee before escaping into the water. He steals an old car and gives chase at dawn before it breaks down, then commandeers a small airplane and parachutes down to the highway.


After a lengthy fight, Frank manages to kill Wall Street by throwing him out of the moving truck where he is crushed by the wheels (in the American version, Wall Street is simply thrown out of the truck to be arrested), only to be ambushed by Kwai once he gets out of the truck where he is marched to a cliff edge. Frank is prepared to fight back until Lai reluctantly shoots her father. Afterwards, Tarconi arrives with the police, and they rescue the people trapped inside the two containers as he congratulates Frank on his work. After a lengthy fight on the moving trucks, Frank throws Wall Street onto the road to his death (in the American version, Wall Street is thrown out of the truck onto the highway), only to be held at gunpoint by Kwai. He marches Frank to the edge of a cliff, but Lai shoots her father to save Frank, as Tarconi and the police rescue the people from the containers.


== Cast == ==Cast==
* ] as ] * ] as ]
* ] as Lai Kwai * ] as Lai Kwai
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* ] as Darren "Wall Street" Bettencourt * ] as Darren "Wall Street" Bettencourt
* ] as Mr. Kwai * ] as Mr. Kwai
<!-- not opening title card billing
* Didier Saint Melin as Boss
* ] as Newscaster * ] as Newscaster
== Production ==
-->
The film was inspired by the short film series '']'', which were produced as a promotional effort by ]. Filming took place in on-location in the ]: in ], ], ], ], and ]. ] performed most of his own physical and driving stunts. ] spoke almost no English when she was cast, and had to learn most of her lines phonetically. Director ] originally intended Martin to be gay.<ref>{{Cite web |last=movies |first=Chris Lee Chris Lee is a former Los Angeles Times staff writer who covered |last2=music |last3=media |last4=culture |first4=Hollywood |date=2005-09-02 |title=An action hero angle |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2005-sep-02-et-leterrier2-story.html |access-date=2024-08-02 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}}</ref> However, this angle was dropped during filming, and a sex scene between Martin and Lai was added.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Grant |first=Japhy |date=2008-12-02 |title=It Turns Out 'The Transporter' Was Gay, But Only in the Mind of Its Director |url=https://www.queerty.com/it-turns-out-the-transporter-was-gay-but-only-in-the-mind-of-its-director-20081202 |access-date=2024-08-02 |website=Queerty |language=en}}</ref>


== Releases == == Release ==


=== Theatrical release === === Theatrical release ===
''The Transporter'' premiered in 2,573 theaters. With a production budget of $20.5 million,<ref name="jpbo" /> it grossed $25,296,447 in the United States and a total of $43,928,932 worldwide.<ref name=mojo/> ''The Transporter'' premiered in 2,573 theaters. With a production budget of $20.5 million,<ref name="jpbo" /> it grossed $25,296,447 in the United States and a total of $43,928,932 worldwide.<ref name="mojo" />


=== Cut and uncut releases === === Censorship ===
The film was cut to receive a ] rating in the ], and this version was also released in the ] and several other countries. ] and ] received the uncut versions. Certain sequences of violence were either cut or toned down for the PG-13 cut. These include: The film was cut to receive a ] rating in the ], and this version was also released in the ] and several other countries. ] was the only country besides ] to receive the uncut versions. Certain sequences of violence were either cut or toned down for the PG-13 cut. The scenes changed in the American/international release are the fight on the bus, where scenes of Frank using a knife against the opponents were edited, and the scene where he throws Wall Street out of the truck; the French release has him crushed under its wheels, whilst the American/international release has him simply thrown out onto the road.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Wurm |first=Gerald |title=Transporter, The (Comparison: PG 13 - French DVD) - Movie-Censorship.com |url=https://www.movie-censorship.com/report.php?ID=1140 |access-date=2024-10-06 |website=www.movie-censorship.com}}</ref>
* The fight on the bus, which included Frank using a knife and knee.
* The final fight on the highway, where Frank fights Wall Street in the truck. In the original French version, Wall Street is crushed beneath the wheels of the truck after Frank throws him from it. In the US PG-13 version, he is simply thrown out of the truck and onto the highway.
The uncut fight on the bus can be seen in the "Extended Fight Sequences" on the North American DVD, but with no sound.


⚫ === Home media ===
The Japanese region-free Blu-ray cut of this film has the original uncut French version of the film. It also has several special features and deleted scenes. However, it does not include the North American special feature of the uncut fight scenes (with no sound). The uncut version of '']'' is also included in this special boxed set.
The film was released on VHS and DVD on 15 April 2003, and on ] on 14 November 2006.

⚫ == Soundtrack ==


=== Original Soundtrack ===
=== Soundtrack<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/transporter-original-soundtrack-mw0000661571|title=Transporter – Original Soundtrack |publisher=]|access-date=10 May 2020}}</ref> ===
⚫ ====Original Soundtrack====
# ] – "]" # ] – "]"
# ] – "]" # ] – "]"
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# Hustlechild – "I'm Cool"† # Hustlechild – "I'm Cool"†
# ] – "One on One"† # ] – "One on One"†
# ]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/elektra-all-stars-prepare-to-transport-74614/|title=Elektra All-Stars Prepare To 'Transport' |publisher=]|access-date=29 November 2022}}</ref> – "Life of a Stranger" # ]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/transporter-original-soundtrack-mw0000661571|title=Transporter – Original Soundtrack |publisher=]|access-date=10 May 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/elektra-all-stars-prepare-to-transport-74614/|title=Elektra All-Stars Prepare To 'Transport' |publisher=]|access-date=29 November 2022}}</ref> – "Life of a Stranger"
† indicates that the song did not appear in the film † indicates that the song did not appear in the film


====Original Motion Picture Score==== === Original Motion Picture Score ===
The original score were composed by ] and The Replicant (for "Love Rescue" and "Transfighter"). The original score were composed by ] and ] (for "Love Rescue" and "Transfighter").


# ] – Mission # ] – Mission
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# ] – It's All Over # ] – It's All Over
# ] – Laï Snoops Around # ] – Laï Snoops Around

⚫ === Home media ===
The DVD version was released on 15 April 2003. It included fifteen minutes of extended fight scene footage and a feature-length commentary. On 23 August 2005, the film was released again in a "Special Delivery Edition". This version included all the features of the original release plus a new behind-the-scenes documentary, a making-of featurette, and a storyboard-to-film comparison. The film was also released as a part of "The Transporter Collection", which featured the first two films in the series. A ] format was released on 14 November 2006.


== Reception == == Reception ==
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reviews, with an average rating of 5.6/10. The site's critics consensus reads: "''The Transporter'' delivers the action at the expense of coherent storytelling."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/transporter/|title=The Transporter|date=13 September 2002 |access-date=2 June 2023|publisher=]}}</ref> At ], the film received a weighted average score of 51 out of 100, based on 27 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".<ref>{{cite web|title=The Transporter|url=https://www.metacritic.com/movie/the-transporter|publisher=Metacritic|access-date=10 October 2012}}</ref> Audiences polled by ] gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Home |url=https://www.cinemascore.com/ |access-date=2022-02-27 |website=] |language=en-US}}</ref> reviews, with an average rating of 5.6/10. The site's critics consensus reads: "''The Transporter'' delivers the action at the expense of coherent storytelling."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/transporter/|title=The Transporter|date=13 September 2002 |access-date=2 June 2023|publisher=]}}</ref> At ], the film received a weighted average score of 51 out of 100, based on 27 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".<ref>{{cite web|title=The Transporter|url=https://www.metacritic.com/movie/the-transporter|publisher=Metacritic|access-date=10 October 2012}}</ref> Audiences polled by ] gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Home |url=https://www.cinemascore.com/ |access-date=2022-02-27 |website=] |language=en-US}}</ref>


], of the '']'', complimented the action, saying, " certainly seems equipped to develop into a mid-weight alternative to ]. That's particularly true if he keeps working with director ], a Hong Kong action veteran whose talent for hand-to-hand mayhem is truly something to see."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.calendarlive.com/movies/reviews/cl-et-capsules11oct11,0,3535654.story|title='The Transporter'|date=11 October 2002|last=Dargis|first=Manohla|author-link=Manohla Dargis|work=]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20021015085815/http://www.calendarlive.com/movies/reviews/cl-et-capsules11oct11,0,3535654.story|archive-date=15 October 2002|access-date=1 May 2010}}</ref> ], of the '']'', complimented the action, saying, " certainly seems equipped to develop into a mid-weight alternative to ]. That's particularly true if he keeps working with director ], a Hong Kong action veteran whose talent for hand-to-hand mayhem is truly something to see."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.calendarlive.com/movies/reviews/cl-et-capsules11oct11,0,3535654.story |title='The Transporter' |date=11 October 2002 |last=Dargis |first=Manohla |author-link=Manohla Dargis |work=] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20021015085815/http://www.calendarlive.com/movies/reviews/cl-et-capsules11oct11,0,3535654.story |archive-date=15 October 2002 |url-status=dead |access-date=1 January 2024 }}</ref> ] wrote, "Too much action brings the movie to a dead standstill."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20021011/REVIEWS/210110306/1023|title=The Transporter|date=11 October 2002|last=Ebert|first=Roger|author-link=Roger Ebert|work=]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060803072434/http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F20021011%2FREVIEWS%2F210110306%2F1023|archive-date=3 August 2006|access-date=1 May 2010|url-status=dead}}</ref> Eric Harrison, of the '']'', said, "It's junk with a capital J. The sooner you realize that, the more quickly you can settle down to enjoying it."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ae/movies/reviews/1612210.html |title=The Transporter |first=Eric |last=Harrison |work=] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090114192733/http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ae/movies/reviews/1612210.html |archive-date=14 January 2009 |date=12 November 2004 |access-date=1 May 2010 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

] wrote, "Too much action brings the movie to a dead standstill."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20021011/REVIEWS/210110306/1023|title=The Transporter|date=11 October 2002|last=Ebert|first=Roger|author-link=Roger Ebert|work=]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060803072434/http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F20021011%2FREVIEWS%2F210110306%2F1023|archive-date=3 August 2006|access-date=1 May 2010|url-status=dead}}</ref> Eric Harrison, of the '']'', said, "It's junk with a capital J. The sooner you realize that, the more quickly you can settle down to enjoying it."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ae/movies/reviews/1612210.html |title=The Transporter |first=Eric |last=Harrison |work=] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090114192733/http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ae/movies/reviews/1612210.html |archive-date=14 January 2009 |date=12 November 2004 |access-date=1 May 2010 |url-status=dead}}</ref>


== Notes == == Notes ==
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== External links == == External links ==
*
* {{IMDb title|0293662}} * {{IMDb title|0293662}}
* {{Allmovie title|265929}}
* {{rotten-tomatoes|transporter}}


⚫ {{Transporter series}}
{{Navboxes {{Navboxes
|title=Related topic navboxes |title=Related topic navboxes
|state=collapsed |state=collapsed
|list1= |list1=
⚫ {{Transporter series}}
{{Louis Leterrier}} {{Louis Leterrier}}
{{Corey Yuen}} {{Corey Yuen}}
{{Luc Besson}} {{Luc Besson}}
}} }}

{{Authority control}} {{Authority control}}


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Latest revision as of 12:21, 22 December 2024

2002 film by Louis Leterrier and Corey Yuen For other uses, see Transporter (disambiguation).

The Transporter
A white man in a black suit holds two guns on a white backdrop that has a band of orange. The words "The Transporter" is overlaid in the middle of the picture.Theatrical release poster
Directed by
Screenplay by
Produced by
  • Luc Besson
  • Stephen Chasman
Starring
CinematographyPierre Morel
Edited byNicolas Trembasiewicz
Music by
Production
companies
Distributed by
Release dates
  • 2 October 2002 (2002-10-02) (Los Angeles)
  • 11 October 2002 (2002-10-11) (U.S.)
  • 23 October 2002 (2002-10-23) (France)
Running time92 minutes
CountryFrance
LanguageEnglish
Budget$20.5 million
Box office$43.9 million

The Transporter (French: Le Transporteur) is a 2002 English-language French action film directed by Corey Yuen and Louis Leterrier from a screenplay by Luc Besson and Robert Mark Kamen. It is the first installment in the Transporter franchise and stars Jason Statham in the title role, alongside Shu Qi, François Berléand and Matt Schulze. In the film, Frank Martin, a British mercenary driver living in France, finds himself involved in a human trafficking plot.

The Transporter premiered at the Regency Village Theatre in Los Angeles on 2 October 2002 and was first theatrically released in the United States on 11 October by 20th Century Fox, and in France on 23 October by EuropaCorp. It received mixed reviews from critics with praise for its action sequences and Statham's performance. It grossed $43.9 million worldwide and was followed by a sequel, Transporter 2, in 2005.

Plot

Frank Martin is a highly skilled driver for less-than-legal jobs in southern France who follows three strict rules:

  1. Never change the deal.
  2. No names.
  3. Never open the package.

In Nice, Frank is hired as the getaway driver for three bank robbers, but they have brought a fourth man. Explaining that the extra weight will affect his precisely planned escape, Frank refuses to drive until, in desperation, the leader kills and abandons one of his men. After evading police in a high-speed chase, the leader offers Frank more money to drive them to Avignon, but he refuses; the robbers flee in another car, but are foiled by their amateur driving. At Frank's villa on the French Riviera, local Police Inspector Tarconi questions him about his black BMW 735i, seen at the scene of the robbery, but Frank has carefully disposed of all evidence.

Frank is hired to deliver a 50 kilograms (110 lb) package to American client Darren "Wall Street" Bettencourt. While changing a flat tire, Frank realizes the package contains a person; he violates his third rule in order to give the captive something to drink, and discovers a woman bound and gagged. She attempts to escape, but Frank recaptures her and is forced to subdue two policemen who spot them. Frank delivers her to Wall Street as promised, and is given a briefcase to transport. As Frank stops to buy drinks for the cops in his trunk, a bomb in the briefcase explodes.

A vengeful Frank returns to Wall Street's villa, killing several henchmen and stealing a Mercedes-Benz S-Klasse, only to find "the package" hiding in the back seat. He brings the young woman, Lai, to his home, where she discovers he is a decorated former special operations soldier. Wall Street visits one of his surviving men in hospital, killing him after discovering Frank is alive. Tarconi questions Frank about the bombing of his car, which Frank claims was stolen, and Lai supports his alibi by introducing herself as his girlfriend. Tarconi leaves, and Wall Street's men attack the house with missiles and automatic weapons, but Frank and Lai narrowly escape through an underwater passage to a nearby safe house where Lai seduces Frank.

Later, while being questioned at the police station by Tarconi, Lai accesses his computer to find information on Wall Street. She reveals that he is a human trafficker with 400 Chinese immigrants trapped in shipping containers, and Frank reluctantly agrees to help. They confront Wall Street at his office, where Lai's father, Mr. Kwai, is revealed to be his partner in crime. Tarconi arrives as Wall Street subdues Frank and accuses him of kidnapping Lai, and Frank is arrested.

Tarconi suggests Frank take matters into his own hands, posing as his hostage to allow him to escape police custody. Recovering a weapons stash from his boat at the harbour of Cassis, Frank tracks the criminals to the Marseille docks, where the containers full of people depart on trucks. Chased to a bus depot, Frank fights his way through the thugs in a motor oil-drenched melee before escaping into the water. He steals an old car and gives chase at dawn before it breaks down, then commandeers a small airplane and parachutes down to the highway.

After a lengthy fight on the moving trucks, Frank throws Wall Street onto the road to his death (in the American version, Wall Street is thrown out of the truck onto the highway), only to be held at gunpoint by Kwai. He marches Frank to the edge of a cliff, but Lai shoots her father to save Frank, as Tarconi and the police rescue the people from the containers.

Cast

Production

The film was inspired by the short film series The Hire, which were produced as a promotional effort by BMW. Filming took place in on-location in the South of France: in Nice, Cassis, Saint-Tropez, Marseille, and Cannes. Jason Statham performed most of his own physical and driving stunts. Shu Qi spoke almost no English when she was cast, and had to learn most of her lines phonetically. Director Louis Leterrier originally intended Martin to be gay. However, this angle was dropped during filming, and a sex scene between Martin and Lai was added.

Release

Theatrical release

The Transporter premiered in 2,573 theaters. With a production budget of $20.5 million, it grossed $25,296,447 in the United States and a total of $43,928,932 worldwide.

Censorship

The film was cut to receive a PG-13 rating in the United States, and this version was also released in the United Kingdom and several other countries. Japan was the only country besides France to receive the uncut versions. Certain sequences of violence were either cut or toned down for the PG-13 cut. The scenes changed in the American/international release are the fight on the bus, where scenes of Frank using a knife against the opponents were edited, and the scene where he throws Wall Street out of the truck; the French release has him crushed under its wheels, whilst the American/international release has him simply thrown out onto the road.

Home media

The film was released on VHS and DVD on 15 April 2003, and on Blu-ray on 14 November 2006.

Soundtrack

Original Soundtrack

  1. Tweet – "Boogie 2Nite"
  2. Nate Dogg – "I Got Love"
  3. Sacario featuring Angie Martinez and Fat Joe – "Live Big (Remix)"†
  4. "Benzino – Rock The Party"†
  5. Knoc-Turn'al – "Muzik"
  6. Angie Martinez featuring Lil' Mo and Sacario – "If I Could Go!"†
  7. Tamia – "Be Alright"†
  8. Missy Elliott – "Scream AKA Itchin'"
  9. Gerald Levert – "Funny"†
  10. Hustlechild – "I'm Cool"†
  11. Keith Sweat – "One on One"†
  12. Nadia – "Life of a Stranger"

† indicates that the song did not appear in the film

Original Motion Picture Score

The original score were composed by Stanley Clarke and Alexandre Azaria (for "Love Rescue" and "Transfighter").

  1. Stanley Clarke – Mission
  2. Stanley Clarke – Serenity
  3. Stanley Clarke – Franck Tries to Leave
  4. The Replicant – Transfighter
  5. DJ Pone & Drixxxé – Fighting Man
  6. The Replicant – Love Rescue
  7. DJ Pone & Drixxxé – Rockin' and Scratchin'
  8. Stanley Clarke – Interrogation with Inspector
  9. Stanley Clarke – Gives Package a Drink
  10. DJ Pone & Drixxxé – The Chase
  11. Stanley Clarke – It's All Over
  12. Stanley Clarke – Laï Snoops Around

Reception

Review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes gives the film an approval rating of 54% based on 128 reviews, with an average rating of 5.6/10. The site's critics consensus reads: "The Transporter delivers the action at the expense of coherent storytelling." At Metacritic, the film received a weighted average score of 51 out of 100, based on 27 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale.

Manohla Dargis, of the Los Angeles Times, complimented the action, saying, " certainly seems equipped to develop into a mid-weight alternative to Vin Diesel. That's particularly true if he keeps working with director Corey Yuen, a Hong Kong action veteran whose talent for hand-to-hand mayhem is truly something to see." Roger Ebert wrote, "Too much action brings the movie to a dead standstill." Eric Harrison, of the Houston Chronicle, said, "It's junk with a capital J. The sooner you realize that, the more quickly you can settle down to enjoying it."

Notes

  1. ^ The American release credits Corey Yuen as director, who served as fight choreographer, and is credited as such in other territories, while Leterrier is credited as "artistic director".

References

  1. "The Transporter (2001)". UniFrance. Retrieved 21 July 2021.
  2. "The Transporter (15)". British Board of Film Classification. 4 November 2002. Retrieved 24 December 2016.
  3. "The Transporter (2001)". en.unifrance.org.
  4. ^ "The Transporter (2002)". JP's Box-Office. Retrieved 14 March 2018.
  5. ^ "The Transporter". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 10 October 2012.
  6. movies, Chris Lee Chris Lee is a former Los Angeles Times staff writer who covered; music; media; culture, Hollywood (2 September 2005). "An action hero angle". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2 August 2024.
  7. Grant, Japhy (2 December 2008). "It Turns Out 'The Transporter' Was Gay, But Only in the Mind of Its Director". Queerty. Retrieved 2 August 2024.
  8. Wurm, Gerald. "Transporter, The (Comparison: PG 13 - French DVD) - Movie-Censorship.com". www.movie-censorship.com. Retrieved 6 October 2024.
  9. "Transporter [Original Soundtrack] – Original Soundtrack". AllMusic. Retrieved 10 May 2020.
  10. "Elektra All-Stars Prepare To 'Transport'". Billboard. Retrieved 29 November 2022.
  11. "The Transporter". Rotten Tomatoes. 13 September 2002. Retrieved 2 June 2023.
  12. "The Transporter". Metacritic. Retrieved 10 October 2012.
  13. "Home". CinemaScore. Retrieved 27 February 2022.
  14. Dargis, Manohla (11 October 2002). "'The Transporter'". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 15 October 2002. Retrieved 1 January 2024.
  15. Ebert, Roger (11 October 2002). "The Transporter". Chicago Sun Times. Archived from the original on 3 August 2006. Retrieved 1 May 2010.
  16. Harrison, Eric (12 November 2004). "The Transporter". Houston Chronicle. Archived from the original on 14 January 2009. Retrieved 1 May 2010.

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