Be transported, to boredom!

The Transporter
Refueled
English (U/A) ¬¬
Director: Camille Delamarre
Cast: Ed Skrein, Ray Stevenson, Loan Chabanol, et al

Jason Statham has been described as a one-dimensional actor, and by extension, takes on one-dimensional roles. One could have never imagined filling his shoes would have been this difficult!

Director Camille Delamarre (of “Brick Mansions” fame) had a lot of elements going her way, in the form of at least a semblance of a story — something otherwise unheard of in action films — along with strong characters and a lot of non-gadgety action.

However, stoic Statham seems to have left pretty big shoes in the franchise, and Ed Skrein would have needed a lot of things to fill them, be they spiffy comebacks, dazzling action and slick production value. Yes, the comebacks, action and production value are there, but they are not spiffy, dazzling or slick, respectively.

And the cliches! God have mercy on those who came up with them. So, former special force soldier Frank Martin (Skrein) gets offered a job, and then is told he can’t refuse it because his father is being held hostage. Anyone else hear Amrish Puri’s menacing voice threatening a 1980s’ or 90s’ protagonist right about here?

Turns out, four girls are trying to get back at the man who pushed them into prostitution, and our Transporter has landed — been dragged into is more like it — in the thick of things.  Therefore, as is the wont of so many “good” people in films, Frank and Frank Sr (Stevenson) must help Anna (Chabanol) and her girls pull off con after con till the audience becomes too jaded and is nearly transported into the world of dreams.

This reboot of the franchise scores when it comes to the characterisation of the wo­m­en, who would rather dish it out to their tormentors than be used as a doormat. However, there is nothing that can lift a film if the lead character is a weak construction. You may give him all the backstory you want, but it will not work unless that leads to a build-up and culmination in establishing a character-trait.

Looks the makers could ha­ve done an amply better job of refuelling this franchise, and it could have revved up revenues too! Sad, that is not the case.