The Transporter franchise has its fans, sure, but even its most ardent admirers would have to admit that it's a poor Euro-trashy relation to the Fast & Furious films, with only the presence of everyone's favourite soccer hooligan Jason Statham (who has since graduated to the aforementioned F&F saga) to distinguish it.
So without Statham in the role of fast-driving, hard-punching delivery man Frank Martin, frequently hired by shady types to courier sensitive items and usually ending up biffing his way through one nefarious conspiracy or another, does the reboot The Transporter Refueled have anything going for it?
Uh… sort of? Ostensibly a prequel, although the bulk of the action takes place in 2010 and Statham's last Transporter movie was in cinemas in 2008, it has all the cheesiness one expects (and indeed desires) from a Transporter adventure. But replacing Statham with former Game Of Thrones star Ed Skrein lessens its appeal somewhat.
Skrein, who resembles a 'roided-up Chris Martin, isn't a dud — he growls his lines acceptably, looks very cool when he slips on his shades (he does this A LOT) and moves with elegance when fighting a variety of henchmen. But he doesn't look like someone who lives to put (a) the pedal to the metal or (b) the hurt on the bad guys.
The story, such as it is, has Skrein's Frank roped into helping a quartet of women press-ganged into prostitution get revenge against the Euro-scum who enslaved them. This initially requires a bit of persuasion on the women's part — they kidnap Frank's dad (Ray Stevenson), who quite enjoys the ordeal, it appears — but it's not too long before Frank is happy to participate in the payback.
Cars crash into one another, things explode and villains cop some well-deserved beatdowns. Oh, and there's a DJ wearing an enormous cat head. Perhaps have a drink or three before buying your ticket.
