Luc Besson has another stab at producing a weak Hollywood action flick with a continental crew, while also giving Jason Statham a chance to follow up The One and attempt to become a credible action hero. He plays Frank, ex-army but now a driver for hire in the European underworld. He lives by a strict set of rules and is the best transporter there is. However, when he makes the mistake of breaking his own rules he finds his own life in danger and that of his latest �package� too.
This is like Besson�s Kiss of the Dragon, very formulaic and, like its lead character, adhering to a rulebook to stay on track. It is hugely unoriginal with the lone anti-hero who turns against his employers and develops a conscience, while also having to save the girl he rescues and subsequently shags. What it does succeed in is being brainless fun, much more so than XXX, which made the mistake of claiming it was a new Bond but was all promotion and couldn�t provide the substance, while Jason Statham exudes more charisma than alleged next-big-thing Vin Diesel. He proves his worth in the action stakes, with his natural athleticism and martial arts training standing him in good stead for the Corey Yuen (The One, Kiss of the Dragon, Romeo Must Die) directed fight scenes. However, he doesn�t do any full tuck half pike high dives. Missed opportunity there, although they do make him kiss a man. Kind of.
Unfortunately his American accent has not improved since The One, leading to me having to argue with a Canadian and Australian over whether he was actually even attempting one rather than his character just being British � surely not a bad idea considering his laughable drawl; is it really so important to grovel to the Yank audience?
Given that the lead female has to be tied up for a lot of the movie, look vulnerable and be involved in organized crime and kung fu, the modern Big Book Of Action Staples demands that she be Asian. So we get the impossibly lipped veteran of many a Hong Kong schlock, Taiwanese bombshell Shu Qi, whose English is surprisingly good (yes you, Jet Li!) for a first time US movie. She does the doe-eyed, quirky, pouty (of course), shrieking woman in peril as well as anyone could expect.
The rest of the cast and crew are mainly French, and they bring their talents to the car chase stunts, which are well executed in a range of European cars (big product placement throughout the whole thing), although none match The Bourne Identity�s cobble tearing antics which just happen to have a Mini making continental coppers look like Maureen from Driving School - no bias from me there.
All good fun for a Friday night movie when you don�t want to think, but just giggle at bad lines, plot holes and see men drop their guns and kick each other to hip-hop. |
