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Transporter (franchise)

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Transporter
Created byLuc Besson
Robert Mark Kamen
Films and television
Film(s)
Television series
Audio
Soundtrack(s)

Transporter is a French film series, comprising three films released between 2002 and 2008. Jason Statham plays Frank Martin, a professional freelance courier driver for hire. Statham himself is an accomplished martial artist, allowing him to do all the combat scenes involving Frank Martin himself. This permits the films' signature Hong Kong-style fight scenes, choreographed by Corey Yuen.

Films

The Transporter

Main article: The Transporter

Frank Martin (Jason Statham) is a highly skilled driver known only as "The Transporter." He will transport anything, no questions asked, always on time, and he is known as the best in the business. He strictly follows three rules when transporting: Rule Number 1: "Once the deal is made, it is final", Rule Number 2: "No names", and Rule Number 3: "Never open the package." Frank inadvertently breaks his own rule, opens the package and finds a bound and gagged woman.

Transporter 2

Main article: Transporter 2

Frank is working as the driver/chauffeur for a wealthy family, in the United States. Martin bonds with their young son, whom he drives to school every day. When the boy is kidnapped, Frank must again take action in order to protect his young "package" and his family. Eventually, Martin unravels a scheme involving biological weapons and the nefarious Gianni Chellini. Martin is forced to remove a bomb from the bottom of his car by executing an aerial corkscrew maneuver underneath a crane. The crane catches the bomb and Martin escapes unharmed. Frank debuts the Audi A8 W12 in this film.

Inspector Tarconi plays an even more prominent role in this film. It is established that he and Frank are now friends, and Tarconi goes as far as to lie to the police to cover for Frank. His cooking prowess is established as well.

Transporter 3

Main article: Transporter 3

Frank has been pressured into transporting Valentina (Natalya Rudakova) the kidnapped daughter of Leonid Vasilev (Jeroen Krabbé), the head of the Environmental Protection Agency for Ukraine, from Marseilles through Stuttgart and Budapest until he ends up in Odessa on the Black Sea. Along the way, with the help of Inspector Tarconi (François Berléand), Frank has to contend with the people who strong armed him to take the job, agents sent by Vasilev to intercept him, and the general non-cooperation of his passenger, whom he realises is the package mid-way through the film. 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. Martin again drives an armoured Audi A8 W12 in the film, as well as a BMX bicycle.

Transporter 4, 5, and 6

Main article: The Transporter: Refueled

In May 2013, at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival, a new trilogy was announced with EuropaCorp and China's Fundamental Films co-producing and distributing the titles.[1][2] The films will likely be budgeted between $30 million to $40 million each and at least one will be shot in China.[3] Luc Besson will co-finance, distribute, produce and write all the films.[4] English actor Ed Skrein will replace Jason Statham as Frank Martin on the fourth installment of the series.[5] The fourth film, The Transporter: Refueled, is scheduled to be released on September 4, 2015 with Camille Delamarre directing.

Television

Transporter: The Series

Main article: Transporter: The Series

Transporter: The Series is a television series based on the Transporter films which premiered in 2012 on October 11 in Germany on RTL, and on December 6 in France on M6. Chris Vance takes over the role of Frank from Jason Statham and is joined by Hungarian actress Andrea Osvárt, who plays the leading female role in the series,[6] starring as a former CIA agent and love interest for Frank, who organizes his missions, and French actor François Berléand, the only returning actor from the film series, who reprises his role as Inspector Tarconi.[7] The show was initially supposed to premiere on the cable network Cinemax but Cinemax pulled out due to production problems. TNT has recently picked up the show and will air the 12-episode first season on the TNT network. TNT has already ordered a 12-episode second season which it plans to air in the fall.[8]

Cast and characters

Character Film TV series
The Transporter Transporter 2 Transporter 3 The Transporter: Refueled Transporter: The Series
Frank Martin Jason Statham Ed Skrein Chris Vance
Inspector Marcelle Tarconi François Berléand   François Berléand
Lai Kwai Shu Qi  
Darren "Wall Street" Bettencourt Matt Schulze  
Mr. Kwai Ric Young  
Gianni Chellini   Alessandro Gassman  
Audrey Billings   Amber Valletta  
Lola   Kate Nauta  
Stappleton   Keith David  
Jack Billings   Hunter Clary  
Max   Shannon Briggs  
Valentina Vasileva   Natalya Rudakova  
Johnson   Robert Knepper  
Leonid Tomilenko   Jeroen Krabbé  
Leonid's Aide   Alex Kobold  
Malcom Manville   David Atrakchi  
Flag   Yann Sundberg  
Ice   Eriq Ebouaney  
Leo Imasov   Lenn Kudrjawizki  
Stanislav Turgin   Anatole Taubman  
Anna   Loan Chabanol  
María   Tatjana Pajković  
Karasov   Radivoje Bukvić  
Gina   Gabriella Wright  
Carla Valeri   Andrea Osvárt
Juliette Dubois   Delphine Chanéac
Dieter Hausmann   Charly Hübner
Caterina Boldieu   Violante Placido

Frank Martin

Main article: Frank Martin (Transporter)

Frank Martin is the protagonist of the films and television series. He initially serves as a reluctant hero. He is portrayed as a former Special Forces operative who was a team leader of a search and destroy unit. His military background includes operations "in and out of" Lebanon, Syria and Sudan. He retires from this after becoming fatigued and disenchanted with his superior officers. In simple terms, he got tired of seeing his best efforts turned to nothing by the same people paying him to do the job. So he puts his skills to action as a private driver for hire.

Reception

Box office

Film Release date Box office gross Box office ranking Budget Ref(s)
North America Other territories Worldwide All time
North America 		All time
worldwide
The Transporter 11 October 2002 $25,296,447 $18,632,485 $43,928,932 #2,619 $21 million [9]
Transporter 2 2 September 2005 $43,095,856 $42,071,783 $85,167,639 #1,673 $32 million [10]
Transporter 3 26 November 2008 $31,715,062 $77,264,487 $108,979,549 #2,246 $30 million [11]
Total $100,107,365 $137,968,755 $238,076,120 $83 million [12]
List indicator(s)
  • A dark grey cell indicates information is not available for the film.

Critical and public response

Film Rotten Tomatoes Metacritic CinemaScore
The Transporter 53% (125 reviews)[13] 51 (27 reviews)[14] B+[15]
Transporter 2 51% (119 reviews)[16] 56 (29 reviews)[17] B+[15]
Transporter 3 37% (111 reviews)[18] 51 (26 reviews)[19] B-[15]

References

  1. ^ "'Transporter' sequels announced at Cannes Film Festival". digitalspy.co.uk. 22 May 2013. Retrieved 24 July 2013.
  2. ^ "Cannes 2013: Three New Films In The Transporter Franchise Announced". empireonline.com. 22 May 2013. Retrieved 24 July 2013.
  3. ^ "New Transporter trilogy bound for big screen with parts 4 5 and 6 announced". metro.co.uk. 22 May 2013. Retrieved 24 July 2013.
  4. ^ "Sequel Bits: 'Transformers 4', 'Expendables 3', 'Transporter 4-6', 'The Hobbit', 'Anchorman 2', 'Pacific Rim 2'". slashfilm.com. 21 May 2013. Retrieved 24 July 2013.
  5. ^ "Transporter 4 will star Ed Skrein in Jason Statham role". theguardian.com. 10 February 2014. Retrieved 15 February 2014.
  6. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (20 May 2011). "Cinemax's 'Transporter' Series Casts Male & Female Leads". Deadline.com.
  7. ^ Goldberg, Lesley (23 June 2011). "'Transporter': 'Lost's' Stephen Williams to Helm Pilot (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Los Angeles, California.
  8. ^ Roxborough, Scott (8 April 2014). "MIPTV: 'Transporter' Series Reboot for TNT Heavy on Action". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 21 December 2014.
  9. ^ "The Transporter (2002)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 21 December 2014.
  10. ^ "Transporter 2 (2005)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 21 December 2014.
  11. ^ "Transporter 3 (2008)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 21 December 2014.
  12. ^ "Transporter Movies at the Box Office". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 21 December 2014.
  13. ^ "The Transporter (2002)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 21 December 2014.
  14. ^ "The Transporter Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 21 December 2014.
  15. ^ a b c "CinemaScore". cinemascore.com. Retrieved March 22, 2015.
  16. ^ "Transporter 2 (2005)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 21 December 2014.
  17. ^ "Transporter 2 Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 21 December 2014.
  18. ^ "Transporter 3 (2008)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 21 December 2014.
  19. ^ "Transporter 3 Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 21 December 2014.
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