Transporter 3

Prequels: “Transporter,” “Transporter 2”

Sequel: “The Transporter Refueled” (2015)

This installment in the “Transporter” franchise switches back to the right lane—or at least pretty close to it. The second installment disappointed us with surprisingly heavy sexual content, and almost nudity. The third, however, does not continue on that road. It also brings us less violence, though there is still plenty of action.

The retired Frank Martin (Jason Statham) is threatened at gun point by the evil boss of the Ukraine’s Environmental Protection Agency to transport an unknown package to Budapest, accompanied by a mysterious woman (Valentina). A timed explosive is in the car, so he must get it done on time. But along the way, he’ll figure out how to get around these villains, and also rescue the girl that has been dragged into lots of danger.

Most of the violence in the movie is car chases and martial arts. There is very little blood. The most violent scene is where a car crashes into a house, and Frank finds the driver, whose head is bloodied. The rest of the action is very enjoyable, and the car stunts are brilliant.

The content of most caution is a scene in which the woman tries to seduce Frank by beginning a striptease. However, she doesn’t get very far, so not much is revealed. The woman was drugged by the villains and makes several suggestive remarks to Frank. At first, Frank refuses to give in, but eventually he falls for her, and then there is some innuendo. Frank is also seen shirtless a few times during fights, and once when he removes his shirt at the woman’s demand, so she’ll give him the car keys.

Other than the brief sexual situation, there is very little offensive content. The language is surprisingly scant. There is an f-word spoken in another language, but subtitled. Throughout, there are a few misuses of God’s name, d**n, and Hell, as well as a few scatological profanities and one middle finger. Frank once tells the woman that an explosion looked like Hell, and the woman said that she didn’t care, as long as they were together.

It’s obvious that Frank genuinely cares about protecting the woman, and not just keeping himself safe. He puts his own life at risk to rescue her, even when he could stay perfectly safe by not doing so. Unfortunately, he does steal a bike during a chase, however he does not keep it. It is also inspiring how quickly Frank thinks, and how he takes what time he can to plan wisely. He does not act upon anger. Another positive element worth mentioning is that when the woman buys vodka to get drunk, Frank rebukes her and points out the negative consequences.

If you’re a Jason Statham fan, you’ll probably want to see this. “Transporter” 1 and 3 are good alternatives to the offensive “Fast and Furious” franchise. I enjoyed it because, somewhat like Adam Sandler, he’s a fantastic actor, but it’s hard to find decent movies that feature him. This movie’s violence stays mostly on the mild side of PG-13, and there’s much less language than you might expect. Just be wary of the brief sexual situation. Overall, I found the film fun, but not unforgettable and not as good as the first “Transporter” movie, but if you want to sit down to a car action movie with some worthwhile elements, this is still a decent watch.

Violence: Heavy to extreme / Profanity: Moderate to heavy / Sex/Nudity: Moderate to heavy

See list of Relevant Issues—questions-and-answers.

• Positive
• Young people
• Critics