Transporter 3

2008 · United States, France, United Kingdom · 104 min

Director: Olivier Megaton
Screenplay: Luc Besson, Robert Mark Kamen
Producer: Luc Besson, Steven Chasman
Music: Alexandre Azaria
Editing: Camille Delamarre, Carlo Rizzo
Production company: TF1, Canal+, EuropaCorp

Awards: · 1 nominations

What the critics say

40 % Rotten Tomatoes positive reviews51 Metacritic /100

Cast

Jeroen Krabbé

Jason Statham

Robert Knepper

Semmy Schilt

Yann Sundberg

Natalya Rudakova

François Berléand

Eriq Ebouaney

David Atrakchi

What it is about

Frank Martin, the professional driver who delivers packages without asking questions, has returned to the French Riviera to keep his low-key business going. His routine is disrupted after a night-time crash outside his home, linked to a job he had turned down earlier. A powerful man with financial interests forces him to accept a delivery under threat: he must transport a package and a young female passenger to Budapest, with a metal bracelet on his wrist that prevents him from leaving the car. Frank has to drive against the clock across Eastern Europe, in a story built around chases, fights and a deadline that offers no mercy.

How it was made

The film continues directly from the two previous entries in the series and was directed by Olivier Megaton, who was taking charge of the franchise for the first time. The screenplay was written by Luc Besson and Robert Mark Kamen, and Besson also produced alongside Steven Chasman, with French companies TF1, Canal+ and EuropaCorp involved. Jason Statham and François Berléand returned as Frank Martin and Inspector Tarconi. Russian actress Natalya Rudakova got her part in an unusual way: Besson spotted her on the street as she hurried to her job at a New York City hair salon, paid for twenty-five acting lessons over six months, and brought her to audition in Paris. Shooting was initially expected to last sixteen weeks, mainly in France and Russia, with additional filming in Odesa, Ukraine.

Reception and legacy

Critical response was mixed. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film earned a low score based on nearly a hundred reviews, and on Metacritic it reached 51 out of 100 from 26 critics. Several reviews agreed that this third entry lost pace and energy compared with its predecessors, although some commentators praised the action sequences and Statham's lead performance. Audiences were kinder, averaging 6.7 out of 10 in user votes. At the box office it was the most successful film of the trilogy, grossing around 109 million dollars worldwide. In the United States it was released by Lionsgate rather than 20th Century Fox. It received a nomination for the People's Choice Award at the European Film Awards. It closes the original trilogy, though not the series, which later continued with The Transporter Refueled.