Explosions and Intrigue

****1/2 out of 5 stars

French talent Luc Besson and Steven Chasman, producers who have brought audiences instant classics such as "La Femme Nikita" and "The Professional," bring you this fall's hottest explosive action picture, "The Transporter."

Foreign actors Jason Statham ("Snatch"), Shu Qi ("Millennium Mambo") and Fran?\0xA4ois Berleand (one of France's most renowned and illustrious actors) prove to be a truly talented trio in this Cory Yuen picture.

Ex-Special Forces Operative Frank Martin (Statham) lives a private life on the French Mediterranean. In his spare time, Martin freelances as a transporter: delivering packages of unknown contents, no questions asked. He follows three cardinal rules: never change the deal, no names and never look in the package.

Extremely precise and always guided by rules, Martin makes a name for himself as France's premier transporter. He tears up the road in his souped-up BMW, leaving pursuers in the dust. By remaining true to his three rules, Martin can plan for every event.

Hired to move a package by the picture's villain, known to Martin only as "Wall Street" (Matt Schulze of "The Fast and the Furious"), Frank makes a terminal error that threatens (and nearly succeeds) to tear down the life he's built for himself. An unexpected flat tire leads Frank to notice his latest package is moving. When he breaks his fundamental third rule and discovers Lai (Qi), the picture's beautiful and cunning damsel in distress, the action really begins.

After Wall Street's unsuccessful attack on Frank's life, Martin and Lai work together to put an end to Wall Street's transgressions. Detective Tarconi (Berleand), aware of Martin's shady and always precise dealings, tails our hero very closely.

This picture is action-packed from the start ?Ae_ approximately ninety minutes of pure entertainment. With a great screenplay by Besson and Robert Mark Kamen ("The Karate Kid" and "Gladiator"), "The Transporter" meets the high standard of quality pictures audiences have come to expect from Besson. Brilliantly executed by Yuen and artistic director Louis Leterrier, "The Transporter" blows away the lame action theatrics of Rob Cohen's "XXX."

Filmed similarly to "La Femme Nikita," the cinematography adds excitement to each scene. Different camera angles during action sequences in addition to a fantastic soundtrack composed by Stanley Clarke increase the film's quality.

"The Transporter" is comparable in several aspects to "The Professional," Besson's 1994 assassin film. Martin, like Leon (French actor Jean Reno) in "The Professional," is as compassionate as possible when placed in dangerous situations. Even when their opponents must be killed, both characters show mercy, using murder as their absolute last resort.

Additionally, once a female has entered the lives of these two professionals ?Ae_ a young Natalie Portman in "The Professional" ?Ae_ both left behind their worlds of solitude for companionship, adding meaning and value to their lives and jobs.

Although certain scenes were slightly over the top, "The Transporter" will appeal to a wide variety of viewers. Rated PG-13 for violent sequences and some sensuality, this film is definitely worth an excursion to the movie theater.

Here's a prediction: once the DVD is released, copies will be flying off the shelves as quickly as some of the film's chase scenes.