Open Road Films recently send us over the official trailer for their upcoming release "Homefront. The upcoming film is written by action superstar Sylvester Stallone(The Expendables, Rocky) and stars Jason Statham (The Expendables, Safe), James Franco (Spring Breakers, This is the End), Winona Ryder, Kate Bosworth and Frank Grillo. "Homefront" hits theaters on 11/27.

Plot Synopsis:

HOMEFRONT is an action movie about a widowed ex-DEA agent who retires to a small town for the sake of his 10-year-old daughter. The only problem is he picked the wrong town.

"Homefront": Official Trailer

Open Road Films recently send us over some stills for their upcoming release of "Homefront". The film is directed by Gary Fleder(Kiss the Girls) and written by Sylvester Stallone(The Expendables, Rocky) and stars Jason Statham, James Franco, Wiona Ryder, Kate Bosworth and Frank Grillo. "Homefront" hits theaters on 11/27.

Plot Synopsis:

HOMEFRONT is an action movie about a widowed ex-DEA agent who retires to a small town for the sake of his 10-year-old daughter. The only problem is he picked the wrong town.

“The Expendables 2” is the kind of dumb action movie fun we have come to expect from the likes of Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Bruce Willis among others famous in this particular genre. Clearly everyone involved in its making is simply out to give action fans what they want, and while there are no real surprises in store, it is still fun for those who just want to enjoy the R-rated carnage being inflicted onscreen without analyzing this sequel’s threadbare plot too much. It’s also nice to see a lot of these action movie icons come together in the same film, and it helps to make “The Expendables 2” more memorable than its predecessor.

This sequel opens like gangbusters as the Expendables blast their way through a village to rescue someone who looks rather familiar (I’ll leave it to you to find out who it is). Those who survived the first movie (or who proved to be nowhere as expendable as the film’s title suggested) are back, and seeing them lay waste to a foreign army made me wonder if these were the soldiers John Rambo never forgot to eviscerate in “Rambo.”

Afterwards, Barney Ross (Sylvester Stallone) is greeted by the secretive Mr. Church (Bruce Willis) who gives Ross a mission he is in no position to turn down; recover an electronic device that can help retrieve a dangerous substance that cannot fall into enemy hands. It later turns out that this substance is plutonium, and the gang is met by an especially villainous character appropriately named Jean Vilain (Jean-Claude Van Damme) who plans to sell it to the highest weapons making bidder. This leads to the Expendables losing one of its members in unforgivably cold-blooded fashion, and that ends up making this particular mission especially personal for them.

Stallone once again has the lead role and co-wrote the script, but he has turned the duties of director over to Englishman Simon West. Now West is responsible for “Lara Croft: Tomb Raider,” “The General’s Daughter” starring John Travolta, some remakes that vary in degrees of quality (“When A Stranger Calls” and “The Mechanic”), and perhaps the best Jerry Bruckheimer guilty pleasure to date – “Con Air.” While I have no problem defending Stallone as a director, having West take over proved to be a good move. The action scenes are more cohesive, the editing is not all over the place, and everything we see onscreen remains appropriately LOUD.

By the way, those who complain about how loud “The Expendables 2” is, just shut up. All the action movies released in summer 2012 are just as loud, so we should expect the increase in volume by now. Next time bring yourself some ear plugs if you want to preserve what’s left of your hearing!

Now Stallone and Schwarzenegger are definitely showing their age here (Schwarzenegger especially), but it’s great to see them still kicking ass even as they have long since become senior citizens. In an industry that continues to be increasingly youth-based, these veterans prove that the odds against them are more expendable than they are. Seeing Schwarzenegger handle a machine gun is especially fulfilling as he proves that he has not lost aim after getting caught up in the realm of politics for the last few years.

Jason Statham (who returns as knife expert Lee Christmas) almost looks like a kid next to the rest of the cast, Liam Hemsworth as former military sniper Billy the Kid practically resembles an infant next to Stallone which probably makes the majority of the cast feel jealous as a result, and Terry Crews still knows how to rock a nasty looking gun as weapons specialist Hale Caesar (nice name). Randy Couture returns as demolitions expert Toll Road, but he doesn’t get as much to do here. The same goes for Jet Li who plays combat expert Yin Yang who ends up disappearing from this sequel far sooner than we could have anticipated. As for Dolph Lundgren who reprises his character of the volatile Gunner Jensen, he actually grew on me a bit this time around.

There are some “new” cast members who team up with the Expendables this time, and they prove to be welcome additions. Nan Yu adds that needed touch of estrogen to this testosterone dominated franchise as Maggie, a character who provides some of this sequel’s few surprises as she proves to be an expert in more ways than one. The previously mentioned Liam Hemsworth gives “The Expendables 2” that youthful feel of someone who has yet to become as cynical as his hard-bitten colleagues, and he gives a strong performance as a soldier eager to steer his destiny in a new direction.

One action star, however, who I was happy to see here was Chuck Norris who portrays a “lone wolf” retired military operative named Booker (an homage to the character he played in the 1978 movie “Good Guys Wear Black”). Now while I can’t agree with Norris’ political beliefs in real life, seeing him appear onscreen had me applauding. Norris has always had a strong and memorable presence in the movies I’ve seen him in, and he has one of this movie’s best lines regarding a snake.

But one actor I actually had more fun watching than I thought I would in “The Expendables 2” was Jean-Claude Van Damme. His limited acting skills prove to be a perfect fit for this sequel’s main villain, and he creates a perfectly detestable bad guy we want to see Stallone and company beat the crap out of. Now while he may be one of my dad’s favorite actors (I’m just kidding dad), I’ve never cared much for him in movies other than “Hard Target” or “JCVD.” But here, Van Damme proves that he still has those graceful moves as he dares his opponents to take him out minus the use of guns.

I guess I could complain more about “The Expendables 2” as it likely has more plot holes than anyone would notice upon first glance. But hey, in the end this is a movie that should be fun, and for me it was. I enjoyed seeing these action stalwarts come together in one place, and seeing them interact made for some exciting and funny moments. “The Expendables 2” may not reach the exhilarating action movie heights of this year’s “The Dark Knight Rises” or even “The Raid: Redemption,” but it does get the job done. With something like this, that’s usually the best you can hope for.

* * * out of * * * *

Lionsgate has send us over the official poster for "The Expendables 2". Your favorite action heroes Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Chuck Norris, also Jean Claude Van Damme with Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger, Terry Crews, Randy Couture, Liam Hemsworth, Scott Adkins and Yu Nan are joining forces to save the world. "The Expendables 2" hits theaters on August 17th.

For more information on this film, you can visit the film's official website at: http://www.theexpendables2film.com

Plot Synopsis:

The Expendables are back and this time it’s personal...

Barney Ross (Sylvester Stallone), Lee Christmas (Jason Statham), Yin Yang (Jet Li), Gunnar Jensen (Dolph Lundgren),Toll Road (Randy Couture) and Hale Caesar (Terry Crews) -- with newest members Billy the Kid (Liam Hemsworth) and Maggie (Yu Nan) aboard -- are reunited when Mr. Church (Bruce Willis) enlists the Expendables to take on a seemingly simple job. The task looks like an easy paycheck for Barney and his band of old-school mercenaries. But when things go wrong and one of their own is viciously killed, the Expendables are compelled to seek revenge in hostile territory where the odds are stacked against them. Hell-bent on payback, the crew cuts a swath of destruction through opposing forces, wreaking havoc and shutting down an unexpected threat in the nick of time — six pounds of weapons-grade plutonium; enough to change the balance of power in the world. But that's nothing compared to the justice they serve against the villainous adversary who savagely murdered their brother.

That is done the Expendables way....

Lionsgate has send us over stills and the official trailer for the upcoming summer action film "The Expendables 2". Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Randy Couture, Terry Crews, Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger are back in this explosive sequel. Joining the cast of the first film are Jean-Claude Van Damme, Chuck Norris, and Liam Hemsworth. "The Expendables 2" hits theaters on August 17th.

YOu can watch "The Expendables 2 trailer on our Youtube page at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9SF14lye8SU&feature=youtu.be

Also, don't forget to RELOAD AND WIN with the new Facebook name generator app for THE EXPENDABLES 2. Get your very own badass Expendables nickname and share the latest trailer for a chance to win a trip to the world premiere of the film!

Check it out now: http://on.fb.me/reloadandwin

Plot Synopsis:

The Expendables are back and this time it’s personal...

Barney Ross (Sylvester Stallone), Lee Christmas (Jason Statham), Yin Yang (Jet Li), Gunnar Jensen (Dolph Lundgren),Toll Road (Randy Couture) and Hale Caesar (Terry Crews) -- with newest members Billy the Kid (Liam Hemsworth) and Maggie (Yu Nan) aboard -- are reunited when Mr. Church (Bruce Willis) enlists the Expendables to take on a seemingly simple job. The task looks like an easy paycheck for Barney and his band of old-school mercenaries. But when things go wrong and one of their own is viciously killed, the Expendables are compelled to seek revenge in hostile territory where the odds are stacked against them. Hell-bent on payback, the crew cuts a swath of destruction through opposing forces, wreaking havoc and shutting down an unexpected threat in the nick of time — six pounds of weapons-grade plutonium; enough to change the balance of power in the world. But that's nothing compared to the justice they serve against the villainous adversary who savagely murdered their brother.

That is done the Expendables way....

Lionsgate Films has send us over character posters for "The Expendables 2". Posters released include Barney Ross (Sylvester Stallone), Lee Christmas (Jason Statham), Yin Yang (Jet Li), Gunnar Jensen (Dolph Lundgren), Book (Chuck Norris), Hale Caesar (Terry Crews) and Toll Road (Randy Couture) join forces this summer, along with Billy the Kid (Liam Hemsworth) Jean Vilain (Jean-Claude Van Damme), Mr. Church (Bruce Willis) Trench, (Arnold Schwarzenegger) and Maggie (Yu Nan). The film is directed by Simon West (Tomb Raider) "The Expendables 2" hits theaters on August 17th.

For more information on this film, you can visit the film's official website at: http://www.theexpendables2film.com

Plot Synopsis:

The Expendables are back and this time it’s personal...

Barney Ross (Sylvester Stallone), Lee Christmas (Jason Statham), Yin Yang (Jet Li), Gunnar Jensen (Dolph Lundgren),Toll Road (Randy Couture) and Hale Caesar (Terry Crews) -- with newest members Billy the Kid (Liam Hemsworth) and Maggie (Yu Nan) aboard -- are reunited when Mr. Church (Bruce Willis) enlists the Expendables to take on a seemingly simple job. The task looks like an easy paycheck for Barney and his band of old-school mercenaries. But when things go wrong and one of their own is viciously killed, the Expendables are compelled to seek revenge in hostile territory where the odds are stacked against them. Hell-bent on payback, the crew cuts a swath of destruction through opposing forces, wreaking havoc and shutting down an unexpected threat in the nick of time — six pounds of weapons-grade plutonium; enough to change the balance of power in the world. But that's nothing compared to the justice they serve against the villainous adversary who savagely murdered their brother.

That is done the Expendables way....

Lionsgate has send over the official trailer and stills for their upcoming release "Safe". The film is the latest from "Remember the Titans" director Boaz Yakin and stars "The Expendables" Jason Statham. "Safe" hits theaters on April 27th.

For more information on this film, you can visit the official website at: http://www.safethefilm.com/ and Facebook page at: http://www.facebook.com/safemovie.

Plot Synopsis:

A second-rate cage fighter on the mixed martial arts circuit, Luke Wright lives a numbing life of routine beatings and chump change...until the day he blows a rigged fight. Wanting to make an example of him, the Russian Mafia murders his family and banishes him from his life forever, leaving Luke to wander the streets of New York destitute, haunted by guilt, and tormented by the knowledge that he will always be watched, and anyone he develops a relationship with will also be killed.

But when he witnesses a frightened twelve-year-old Chinese girl, Mei, being pursued by the same gangsters who killed his wife, Luke impulsively jumps to action...and straight into the heart of a deadly high-stakes war. Mei, he discovers, is no ordinary girl, but an orphaned math prodigy forced to work for the Triads as a "counter." He discovers she holds in her memory a priceless numerical code that the Triads, the Russian mob and a corrupt faction of the NYPD will kill for.

Realizing he's the only person Mei can trust, Luke tears a swath through the city's brutal underworld to save an innocent girl's life...and perhaps even redeem his own.

"Safe" Official Trailer

Lionsgate has send us over the official teaser trailer and teaser poster for one of the most anticipated films of the summer of 2012, "The Expendables 2" The film returns Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Terry Crews, Randy Couture, with Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger from the first film. This time joining them are Liam Hemsworth, martial arts legends Chuck Norris and Jean Claude Van Damme, and Chinese actress Yu Nan as the first female EXPENDABLE. "Con Air" and "Tomb Raider" director Simon West will handling the direction for this installment. "The Expendables 2" blasts its way into theaters on August 17.

Plot Synopsis:

The Expendables are back and this time it's personal...

Barney Ross (Sylvester Stallone), Lee Christmas (Jason Statham), Yin Yang (Jet Li), Gunnar Jensen (Dolph Lundgren),Toll Road (Randy Couture) and Hale Caesar (Terry Crews) -- with newest members Billy the Kid (Liam Hemsworth) and Maggie (Yu Nan) aboard -- are reunited when Mr. Church (Bruce Willis) enlists the Expendables to take on a seemingly simple job. The task looks like an easy paycheck for Barney and his band of old-school mercenaries. But when things go wrong and one of their own is viciously killed, the Expendables are compelled to seek revenge in hostile territory where the odds are stacked against them. Hell-bent on payback, the crew cuts a swath of destruction through opposing forces, wreaking havoc and shutting down an unexpected threat in the nick of time - six pounds of weapons-grade plutonium; enough to change the balance of power in the world. But that's nothing compared to the justice they serve against the villainous adversary who savagely murdered their brother.

That is done the Expendables way....



"The Expendables 2": Teaser Trailer

If it wasn’t for the presence of Michael Shannon, 13 would be a rather amusing but otherwise perfunctory remake of a film that didn’t need it. 13 Tzameti was a perfectly acceptable and entertaining film that didn’t necessarily scream to be remade with a high profile, English speaking cast. It’s fitting that the remake is finding its way direct to video in an odd sense; it would’ve been a curiosity, nothing more, in theatres and on DVD it becomes much moreso.

The film has a fairly simple plot. Vince is an electrician (Sam Riley) with money problems who opts to assume the identity of a dead man and take a high paying job with little detail to it. He knows nothing about it at first, bluffing his way inside until he finds the disarming truth. He’s there to be a part of a highly illegal Russian Roulette tournament against a handful of other men, with the stakes being exorbitantly high and the rewards potentially bigger. Handled by a pair expecting the man he replaced, the tournament has a handful of quirky characters. Patrick Jefferson (Mickey Rourke) is a cowboy who gets sold into it after being bailed out of a Tijuana jail. Ronald Bagges (Ray Winstone) is sprung from a mental institution to compete for his brother Jasper (Jason Statham), a wealthy man trying to become much wealthier in the competition. As the competition continues, we find the breaking points of all the men leading to a violent conclusion.

And the film, fairly faithful to the original in part because it was written and directed by the same man (Géla Babluani), with some details changed up to make it appear to not be a shot for shot remake of the film. The film is essentially that, however; a shot for shot remake. Enough has been changed to make it just slightly different but it’s the same film for the most part. There isn’t much of a change to the inherent story or plotline about a desperate man trying to play the odds in a blood sport.

The problem comes from the fact that most of the cast isn’t all that good in it, which is surprising considering how strong it is.

The only one who seems to be having fun with the film is Shannon, who is so gleefully over the top that the rest of the cast seems inadequate in comparison. Shannon, in a small part, is so deliciously over the top that the film elevates out of its mediocrity every time he’s in it. When the film relies on Riley to carry the film it sinks; he’s a worthy protagonist but he isn’t written well in this version of the film for the genre. It is trying too hard to be scary instead of terse; it’s as if the remake of the film was intended to be a horror film and not a dramatic thriller, where the mayerial tends to go.

This is a film that tries to have more of a horror aesthetic when its material is inherently more dramatic than horrifying. It’s a tone problem and Babluani just can’t quite get the tone right. It’s a fairly acceptable film for the direct to video market, where standards are lower for quality, and it’s easy to see why the film went that route. It’d be more laughable, like Nic Cage and Trespass, than dramatic in that setting.

There are no extras on the DVD.

Anchor Bay Films recently send us over the offical trailer and theater listings for their upcoming release "13". The film staring Jason Statham, Sam Riley, Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson, Ray Winstone, Alexander Skarsgard, Mickey Rourke will be playing at the Laemmle Monica 4-plex in Los Angeles and Village East Cinema in New York City on October 28th.

If you can't make it to any of these places the film will be hitting DVD and Blu-Ray on November 8th.

Plot Synopsis:

Vince Ferro is a man in desperate circumstances. While on a quick fix-it job, he steals an envelope containing instructions for a mysterious job that promises a potential fortune. He assumes a false identity and follows the instructions, only to find himself a numbered participant in an underworld Russian roulette competition, where gamblers place bets on who'll survive when the trigger is pulled. The stakes are high, but the payout is more than he can resist. Many are competing for the first time, and a precious few have even returned to play again, but are his odds any better than other players in this most deadly game? What will it take to be the last man standing?

"13": Official Trailer

Anchor Bay Film recently send us information that they've announced that "13", the remake of the award winning international film 13 Tzameti" will have limited theatrical run before it hits DVD and Blu-Ray shelves. The remake stars an all star class that includes Sam Riley (Control, Brighton Rock), Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson (Get Rich or Die Tryin’), Ray Winstone (The Departed, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull), Alexander Skarsgård (“True Blood”), Oscar® nominee Michael Shannon (Revolutionary Road, “Boardwalk Empire,” the upcoming Superman film Man of Steel), Ben Gazzara (Saint Jack, They All Laughed), Emmanuelle Chriqui (You Don’t Mess With The Zohan, “Entourage”) with Oscar® nominee Mickey Rourke (The Wrestler, Iron Man 2) and Jason Statham (The Expendables, The Mechanic)

"13" is set to hit theaters in limited release on Novemeber 4th and DVD and Blu-Ray four day later on November 8th.

Update: Anchor Bay Films recently send out a correction to us on the theatrical date for "13". The film will now be released in limited release on October 28th. We've also added the corrected press release.

Press Release:

A chilling and unnerving exploration of the relationship between power and money, Anchor Bay Films presents 13 on Blu-ray™ and DVD November 8th. A remake of the award-winning 2005 international sensation 13 Tzameti, 13 is written and directed by Gela Babluani, the original film’s writer/director, and boasts an all-star cast including Sam Riley (Control, Brighton Rock), Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson (Get Rich or Die Tryin’), Ray Winstone (The Departed, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull), Alexander Skarsgård (“True Blood”), Oscar® nominee Michael Shannon (Revolutionary Road, “Boardwalk Empire,” the upcoming Superman film Man of Steel), Ben Gazzara (Saint Jack, They All Laughed), Emmanuelle Chriqui (You Don’t Mess With The Zohan, “Entourage”) with Oscar® nominee Mickey Rourke (The Wrestler, Iron Man 2) and Jason Statham (The Expendables, The Mechanic). 13 will also have an exclusive theatrical engagement starting October 28th.

The original 13 Tzameti (the Georgian word for “13”) won the 2006 Sundance Grand Jury Prize and Babluani won best director at the Venice Film Festival.

In the film, Vince Ferro is a man in desperate circumstances. While on a quick fix-it job, he steals an envelope containing instructions for a mysterious job that promises a potential fortune. He assumes a false identity and follows the instructions, only to find himself a numbered participant in an underworld Russian roulette competition, where gamblers place bets on who’ll survive when the trigger is pulled. The stakes are high, but the payout is more than he can resist. Many are competing for the first time, and a precious few have even returned to play again, but are his odds any better than other players in this most deadly game? What will it take to be the last man standing?

Bonus features on 13 Blu-ray™ and DVD will include a behind-the-scenes featurette, and the theatrical trailer.

Open Road Films recently released stills and the official trailer for their upcoming film "Killer Elite". This action film is inspired by true events and boast an very good cast that includes Jason Statham, Robert De Niro and Clive Owen. The film is also playing at this year's Toronto International Film Festival. "Killer Elite" will be hitting theaters in the US on September 23rd.

For more information on this film, you can visit the film's official website at: http://www.killerelite.com

Plot Synopsis:

Inspired by true events, KILLER ELITE is an action-adventure spy film that follows Danny (Jason Statham), one of the world's most skilled special-ops agents. Lured out of self-imposed exile, Danny reassembles his crack team of operatives to execute a near-impossible mission of retribution- to rescue his former mentor and partner Hunter- (Robert De Niro). Together they must penetrate the highly feared and respected military unit, the British Special Air Service (SAS), to take down a rogue cell of soldier assassins and their leader Spike (Clive Owen) before their actions create a global crisis. KILLER ELITE’S whirlwind journey of action hurtles across the globe: from Mexico to Australia, from Paris and London to Oman and Wales. The film is based on Ranulph Fiennes’ controversial non-fiction bestseller “The Feather Men.”

Upcoming Screenings:

Saturday September 10th
Roy Thomson Hall
1:30pm
Toronto, Canada

Monday September 12th
Scotiabank Theatre 1
7:30pm
Toronto, Canada





"Killer Elite": Official Trailer

Plot Synopsis:

“The Mechanic" is a remake of a 1972 film, which was directed by Michael Winner (Death Wish) and starring Charles Bronson (The Dirty Dozen, Death Wish), Jan Michael Vincent (Dammation Alley) and Keenan Wynn (Dr. Strangelove).

The updated version follows a hitman (Jason Statham), who has a talent for eliminating targets cleanly and is consider the best in the business. One day, his mentor (Donald Sutherland) and friend is found murdered. This leads him on a mission to get revenge on those who ordered the hit. Everything becomes complicated, when his mentor’s son (Ben Foster) wants to exacts the same revenge on those people. Soon. deception with each other surfaces and threatens both of their lives in this remake of the 1972 classic action film.

Film Review

Going into this film, I didn’t see the original, but I still was expecting a film that would have action and intense sequence. The stuff that is accustomed to a Jason Staham film. Surprisingly this wasn’t the film that I expected to see, as this didn’t have the over the top action sequences that I expected. Instead, this film is filled with character development and good performances.

Director Simon West does a very good job not making the film filled with action sequences. One of the things that he does well was the way that this film was shot. This film does feel like a seventies action film with non action sequences that are drawn out. It was surprising to see that, but it helps the tone of the film. Another thing that West does very well, he gets good performances from Jason Staham and Ben Foster. The chemistry between the two was perfect.The performances and tone of each of the characters were directed well enough that the characters gelled on the screen. There were scenes that it was desperately needed, since most of the action takes in the second half of the film. If Staham and Foster didn’t turn good performances, this film would’ve been disappointing. It’s a credit to West’s direction that the performance are good enough to make it entertaining and forget about your need for exciting action.

The screenplay for this remake was written by Richard Wenk and Lewis John Carlino. For the most part, I liked how they decided to make the focus of the film be about the two lead characters, instead of making it about the action sequences. This could have easily gone that route, but the action sequences don’t come until the last third of the film. It‘s a good thing, because it sets the film’s dark tone and lets the writers focus on their student/mentor relationship which leads for some good dialogue scenes between the two leads. If there was one thing that surprised me about the screenplay, it was the fact that the ending catches you somewhat off guard. In the last scenes of this film, I truly thought the opposite was going to happen, which I won‘t talk about because it would spoil it. But to the credit of the writers, they did a very job in throwing a little twist to the ending. It made this film more enjoyable for me and made me like this screenplay a little more.

Blu-ray Extras

I truly wished, there was more content on the production of this film. First on the this disc, “Tools of the Trade” featurette. It’s a seven and half minute featurette that goes into the most into the stunts. There is a minute or two that goes into the production, but this primarily felt like a behind the scenes of various stunts that take place in the film. I was hoping for some production information here, but sadly there is very little.

Next on the disc is ten minutes of deleted and extended scenes. After that, it’s just trailers for upcoming Sony releases and movie IQ that give you facts about the production,

I would have liked it, if there some production stories or an audio commentary from the cast and director. Sadly, there seems to be none of that here on this blu-ray.


Summary

While this film isn’t going win awards, this is an entertaining action film, as Staham and Forster carry this film through their performances. I just wished that the Blu-ray had more extras then the little that it has.

Review Rating: Three and a half stars.

Blu-ray Extras: One Star

Sony Pictures announced today that the Jason Statham action film "The Mechanic" will be hitting its way onto DVD and Blu-Ray on May 17th.

Press Release:

International action superstar Jason Statham (The Expendables, Transporter series) ramps up the action in CBS Films’ The Mechanic, debuting on Blu-ray™ and DVD May 17 from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. The film also stars Ben Foster (3:10 to Yuma, X-Men: The Last Stand), and Donald Sutherland (The Italian Job). The Mechanic follows an elite hit man (Statham) as he teaches his trade to an apprentice (Foster) who has a connection to one of his previous victims. The DVD and Blu-ray bonus materials include deleted scenes and the behind-the-scenes featurette “Tools of the Trade: Inside the Action,” an inside look at the exciting action, stunts and weapons from the film. The Mechanic will be available on Blu-ray for $34.95 SRP and on DVD for $28.95 SRP.

SYNOPSIS:

Arthur Bishop (Jason Statham) is a ‘mechanic’ – an elite assassin with a strict code and unique talent for cleanly eliminating targets. It’s a job that requires professional perfection and total detachment, and Bishop is the best in the business. But when his mentor and close friend Harry (Donald Sutherland) is murdered, Bishop is anything but detached. His next assignment is self-imposed – he wants those responsible dead. His mission grows complicated when Harry’s son (Ben Foster) approaches him with the same vengeful goal and a determination to learn Bishop’s trade.

Directed by Simon West (Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, Con Air), The Mechanic is based on a screenplay by Richard Wenk and Lewis John Carlino (1972’s The Mechanic, story also by Lewis John Carlino). David Winkler, Bill Chartoff and Rene Besson produced, with Irwin Winkler and Robert Chartoff acting as executive producers, alongside Avi Lerner, Danny Dimbort, Trevor Short and Boaz Davidson.

DVD and Blu-ray Bonus Features Include:

Deleted Scenes
“Tools of the Trade: Inside the Action” Featurette

CBS Films recently send us over four clips for the upcoming Jason Statham action film, "The Mechanic", which hits theaters on January 28th.

Arthur Bishop (Jason Statham) is a 'mechanic' - an elite assassin with a strict code and unique talent for cleanly eliminating targets. It's a job that requires professional perfection and total detachment, and Bishop is the best in the business. But when his mentor and close friend Harry (Donald Sutherland) is murdered, Bishop is anything but detached. His next assignment is self-imposed - he wants those responsible dead.

His mission grows complicated when Harry's son Steve (Ben Foster) approaches him with the same vengeful goal and a determination to learn Bishop's trade. Bishop has always acted alone but he can't turn his back on Harry's son. A methodical hit man takes an impulsive student deep into his world and a deadly partnership is born. But while in pursuit of their ultimate mark, deceptions threaten to surface and those hired to fix problems become problems themselves.

"The Mechanic" Film Clip: You Owe Me



"The Mechanic" Film Clip: Rooftop Repel



"The Mechanic" Film Clip: Not So Good For Your Side



"The Mechanic": Film Clip "Extended Convoy"

CBS Films recently send us over the Official Trailer for the new Jason Statham / Ben Foster film "The Mechanic".

Arthur Bishop (Jason Statham) is a 'mechanic' - an elite assassin with a strict code and unique talent for cleanly eliminating targets. It's a job that requires professional perfection and total detachment, and Bishop is the best in the business. But when his mentor and close friend Harry (Donald Sutherland) is murdered, Bishop is anything but detached. His next assignment is self-imposed - he wants those responsible dead.

His mission grows complicated when Harry's son Steve (Ben Foster) approaches him with the same vengeful goal and a determination to learn Bishop's trade. Bishop has always acted alone but he can't turn his back on Harry's son. A methodical hit man takes an impulsive student deep into his world and a deadly partnership is born. But while in pursuit of their ultimate mark, deceptions threaten to surface and those hired to fix problems become problems themselves.

"The Mechanic" hits theaters on January 28th, 2011.

"The Mechanic" Official Trailer

DIRECTED BY
Olivier Megaton

STARRING
Jason Statham - Frank Martin
Francois Berleand - Inspector Tarconi
Natalya Rudakova - Valentina
Robert Knepper - Johnson
Justin Rodgers Hall - Horatio
Eriq Ebouaney - Ice
Jeroen Krabbe - Leonid Vasilev
David Atrakchi - Malcolm Manville

Genre - Action

Running Time - 100 Minutes

Score - 2.5 Howls Outta 4


Jason Statham has had a pretty up-and-down 2008 when it comes to movies. He started out the year with Uwe Boll's IN THE NAME OF THE KING: A DUNGEON SIEGE TALE that ended up being a lousy flick with Statham being the best part of it. Then we had the action-drama, THE BANK JOB, which was a good film with a very good performance from Statham. Unfortunately, no one went to see it until DVD. Then we have the remake of DEATH RACE 2000 titled DEATH RACE, which was a decent action flick.

And now we have TRANSPORTER 3, which is supposed to be the "final" film in the trilogy of Frank Martin. Combining the story element of the first part and the over-the-top action for the second part, TRANSPORTER 3 attempts to be the best of both worlds for action fans. Unfortunately, TRANSPORTER 3 is just another in the line of three-quels that ends up being more disappointing than anything. While still an entertaining film carried once again by Jason Statham, TRANSPORTER 3 shows that this franchise may be out of gas.

PLOT
Frank Martin (Jason Statham) gets called on another job. This time, it's to transport some red-headed annoying Russian bimbo named Valentina (Natalya Rudankova). However, something's weird about this mission. One, no destination is set to leave Valentina. Two, Frank has to waste gas by driving around for hours while his GPS is updated to tell him his next move. And third, the guy who hired Frank for this mission, Johnson (Robert Knepper), doesn't trust people with his packages. So to make sure everything goes as planned, he makes both Frank and Valentina wear these bracelets that will explode if either one of them is more than 75 feet away from the car. How will Frank and Valentina get these things off? What is Johnson's true plan? And why is this Valentina bitch so damn annoying? Transport her ass six feet under, Frank!

REVIEW
TRANSPORTER 3 is a hit-and-miss with me. I was entertained by this sequel, but it just wasn't as fun as the first two installments. Maybe that's because we've pretty much seen this film twice before. Maybe that's because the action isn't really all that spectacular or even frequent. Maybe that's because one of the actors in the film gave me a headache. I dunno. But TRANSPORTER 3 tries to mix the best qualities of the first two films into a single film and pretty much loses what made these films so good to begin with.

The story was probably the worst of the three. I understood it. It had entertaining aspects to it. But for the most part, it did nothing for me. The whole anti-environmental scheme in these action flicks is getting old. And then the love interest sub-plot between Frank and Valentina was grating, especially when this was pretty much 65 percent of the film. While I think Statham and Rudakova look like a hot couple, they just annoyed me together. The constant sparring is supposed to be charming and a turn-on. Here, it just made me want to rip my hair out of my scalp. And then when the seduction stuff does happen, it was more weird than anything. I dunno, I thought Frank had more chemistry with Shu Qi and Amber Valletta in the previous flicks. The love angle didn't really work for me here but at least Frank got some!

Anyone looking for character development will surely be disappointed. Not that I think anyone would expect that in a film called TRANSPORTER 3. But if you were looking for some deep stuff here, go see AUSTRALIA or something and leave me alone!

The action, while not as frequent as in the other TRANSPORTER installments, still manages to get the job done. We get cars parking on trains. We get Statham ripping his clothes off [again] and using them against his adversaries. We get some driving on two wheels and cutting through tractor trailers. I also liked the chase where Frank's car was stolen and he had to catch up before he blew up. The action is great here [again, nice choregraphy by Corey Yuen] and I wish there was more of it instead of having the romance sub-plot be the true focus of this film. I don't care if Frank gets poontang! I want to see him kick ass!

The direction by newcomer to the series, Olivier Megaton, does decent. His directorial style is very in your face. Lots of close-ups. Lots of jump cuts that work for some scenes but totally destroy the effectiveness of the action sequences. The camera shakes quite a bit as well, which is somewhat annoying here. I understand Megaton is trying to set a quick-paced atmosphere here, but I actually want to see the action go on. You could do it in a way that works, like in the BOURNE sequels. But it's just distracting in TRANSPORTER 3. But I liked that the 100 minutes never felt long and the cinematography was pretty cool too. Not as good as Louis Letterier, but decent enough.

The acting...well, you're not watching these flicks for the thespian work, are you? Jason Statham is still one of the coolest motherfuckers on the planet and could play Frank Martin in his sleep. He carries this film single-handedly and is the only real reason to watch this sequel. He gets more to do dialogue-wise than he did in TRANSPORTER 2 and does it quite well. He's the star of this film and makes sure everyone knows it. Natalya Rudakova, unfortunately, is the total opposite. She's pretty good-looking but recites lines like she's reading off of a cue card. She says things without showing any sign of personality [not like the character has any to begin with but at least attempt it]. She whines a bit. She's just grating and irritating to watch. A WAY better actress could have taken this nothing character and at least made her somewhat interesting. Rudakova doesn't even bother and she makes the viewers suffer for it.

Robert Knepper, who stars on FOX's Prison Break, did nothing for me as Johnson. The villain is totally one-note and is never really creepy or evil. And it's sad because Knepper does both well on Prison Break. And Francois Berleand is still cool as Inspector Tarconi. Unfortunately, he doesn't share all that many scenes with Statham that I would have liked and is again underused as far as I'm concerned. But I still enjoyed him here nonetheless.

TWO THINGS I'VE LEARNED WHILE ACCESSORIZING MY KILLER BRACELET WITH MY BEDAZZLER

- Frank and Valentina were trapped wearing bracelets that would explode if they were 75 feet away from their vehicle. Not only did this rip off SPEED, but was it really necessary to rub the whole bracelet thing in front of Statham's friend, Guy Ritchie? I mean, that's why Ritchie stayed with that nutty Madonna all those years, right?

- The Russian Valentina annoyed me with her harsh English and her dull personality. It just made me want to t.A.t.U. my foot print in her ass for "All The Things She Said".

THE FINAL HOWL
If you liked the first two TRANSPORTER flicks, you'll find something to like about TRANSPORTER 3. It's not a horrible way to spend 100 minutes, but there was a lot of potential here for a better sequel. I hope this is the last TRANSPORTER flick because I think the series has finally run its course. But I can't say I wasn't entertained by this installment. I still get a kick watching cars doing death-defying stunts and a single man taking down an entire group of fighters by himself. Leave the brain at home and try not to be annoyed by that Russian broad. You'll be fine. My bro-mance with Jason Statham continues on.

DIRECTED BY
Corey Yuen (THE TRANSPORTER)
Louis Leterrier (THE TRANSPORTER & TRANSPORTER 2)

STARRING
Jason Statham - Frank Martin
Francois Berleand - Inspector Tarconi
Shu Qi - Lai (THE TRANSPORTER)
Matt Schulze - Darren "Wall Street" Bettencourt (THE TRANSPORTER)
Ric Young - Mr. Kwai (THE TRANSPORTER)
Hunter Clary - Jack Billings (TRANSPORTER 2)
Alessandro Gassman - Gianni (TRANSPORTER 2)
Amber Valletta - Audrey Billings (TRANSPORTER 2)
Kate Nauta - Lola (TRANSPORTER 2)
Matthew Modine - Jefferson Billings (TRANSPORTER 2)
Jason Flemyng - Dimitri (TRANSPORTER 2)
Keith David - Stappleton (TRANSPORTER 2)

Genre - Action

Running Time - 93 Minutes (THE TRANSPORTER)/87 Minutes (TRANSPORTER 2)

Score -
3.5 Howls Outta 4 (THE TRANSPORTER)
3 Howls Outta 4 (TRANSPORTER 2)


I think I've made it known a couple of times in certain reviews about my hetero man-crush on Jason Statham. Ever since I saw him in Guy Ritchie's LOCK, STOCK, AND TWO SMOKING BARRELS and [especially] SNATCH, Statham had been on my radar due to his charisma, presence, and acting ability. I think I've pretty much seen every film this has been in, give or take a couple that I'm still getting to. This guy has star written all over him, but that wasn't really realized until his first leading role, 2002's THE TRANSPORTER. I remember seeing the trailer to this film and watching all the fight sequences and thinking that Statham was the toughest badass I've seen in a film in years. Unfortunately, I was one of the few who actually saw THE TRANSPORTER in a movie theater as the film made only $10 million in the United States. Thankfully, the power of DVD made the film a big hit and worthy enough for another installment - 2005's TRANSPORTER 2, which was more over-the-top and more action-packed than the original was. This time, I wasn't one of the few who saw this in a theater as the sequel made a pretty good chunk of cash during its release, making more on DVD than the first one did.

Now in 2008, we have TRANSPORTER 3 coming out today which I probably won't see until this weekend. I'm actually looking forward to it, even though I know the third installments are usually not all that great. But I'm willing to give it a chance because I'm a big fan of the first two installments, which prove that action is alive and well in the 21st Century. So before I review TRANSPORTER 3, I figure it's only right to review the first two and see if they still hit the mark today as they did a few years ago. After all, I have rules and you always follow the rules.

PLOT
In THE TRANSPORTER, Frank Martin (Jason Statham) is known in the European underground as The Transporter - meaning he will transport anything for a fee to anywhere that he's directed to without asking any questions. A former military dude and a guy who is proficient in martial arts and firearms, Frank is pretty anal about his job and follows certain rules for each one:

- Never change the deal.
- No names.
- Never look in the package.

Frank is very on point about his transporting business, always knowing shortcuts or planning ahead for certain occasions [like police trouble] that may hinder his job ability. Driving his BMW 735, Frank can pretty much outdrive anyone without injury or scratching his car.

During one transporting job, Frank gets a flat tire. Going to his trunk for a spare, he sees the package he's transporting - moving and screaming. Letting his curiosity get the best of him, Frank decides to look in the package to find some Asian chick named Lai (Qi Shu), who is part of some slave-smuggling cartel deal. Violating his third rule destroys the private and quiet life he once had before taking this certain mission, making him realize that one should always follow the rules.

In TRANSPORTER 2, Frank relocates to Miami from France, now playing driver to a kid named Jack (Hunter Clary). Jack happens to be the son of some big government official (Matthew Modine), who trying to stop the world of narcotics in the area. Being a dumbass, he doesn't realize this just put a target on him and his entire family.

One day, Frank takes Jack to a doctor's appointment. Unfortunately, some bad guys kill the staff at the clinic, posing as nurses and doctors to attack Jack. Frank realizes this quick and manages to save Jack, until the mastermind behind this latest attack (Alessandro Gassman) and his anorexic girlfriend (Kate Nauta) force Frank against a wall that allows Jack to get kidnapped, as well as taking the blame for the crime. They try to kill Frank, but he manages to survive. More pissed off and determined as ever, Frank has to save Jack as well as the entire world, as this madman is planning to spread a bio-chemical weapon that will murder anyone who breathes it.

REVIEW
THE TRANSPORTER films are what I consider guilty pleasures. They're basically plot-less most of the time, requiring the action to shut your brain down so you can just enjoy being stimulated by the visuals on screen. The stunts are really over the top, almost to the point where they become borderline ridiculous. It's cliche, after cliche, after cliche - yet both films make all this work. Why? Because they never take themselves seriously as if the filmmakers know they're making a ridiculous action flick or two. And I'm more than fine with that because action films should be exciting and have to be sort of illogical in order to work.

Like I mentioned above, these films are basically plot-less. That's not to say that THE TRANSPORTER and/or TRANSPORTER 2 don't have stories. Both films do have a Point A, a Point B, and a Point C that moves these films along. Obviously, both films focus on Frank Martin - British Bad Ass who makes sure his actions are louder than his words. The funny thing about Frank is that we barely know anything about his background. We know he was in Special Ops, but we still haven't learned about how he even because a Transporter or why he continues to do so when it gets him into all sorts of trouble that complicated his quite life. Yet while we have no inkling of his past, we're still allowed to know what kind of character he is. He's a neat freak. He doesn't talk much unless he has a point to say something. He cherishes his cars like his life. He has rules he tries to follow. And he's an ass-kicking machine. Frank can be a very cold character and almost seems anti-social, but he's greatly appealing and charming at the same time. I think it's because the character is always up front about who he is and why he does what he does. There's no shadyness with Frank and that's why we root for him.

But the character development pretty much ends there with these films. Unless you count Inspector Tarconi, who is a pretty loose police officer who's willing to help Frank do anything without judging him, none of the other characters are really fleshed out. We barely know anything about the people Frank associates with, as they're just necessities for the films' plots.

Still, it doesn't matter because these films aren't about Academy Award winning screenplays, memorable dialogue, or great characterization. These films are about the action on screen. And that's where THE TRANSPORTER and TRANSPORTER 2 succeeds. The first one is pretty much more grounded in reality. We get great high speed chases, with lots of cars crashing into each other and such. We get insane fight choregraphy. We have explosions that involve cars and houses. I swear the first time I saw this film, I saw things I had never seen before - especially the combat scenes. THE TRANSPORTER has better pacing than TRANSPORTER 2 does because there isn't action all the time, as we have some expository scenes that bridge these sequences.

TRANSPORTER 2 is pretty much all action, all the time. And that action is extremely out there, as it almost feels like watching a cartoon most of the time. It's not a bad thing at all, as I still find the action in the sequel to be satisfying as an action-junkie. But unlike THE TRANSPORTER, TRANSPORTER 2 makes you throw all logic out the window as your suspension of disbelief is stretched pretty tightly. I mean, how does a man fall from many feet above onto a moving car, make a massive dent on the top of the car, roll off the car, and get up as if nothing had happened. There's another part where two cars crash into each other as Frank does a split in mid-air to avoid the collision. Should I even mention the insane spinning airplane sequence towards the end of the film where Frank and Gianni have fisticuffs in mid-air as the plane crashes down into the ocean? And what about all those ramps that appear just in time for Frank to leap away from danger? The stunts and action in TRANSPORTER 2 are insane and pretty much unbelievable. Yet, I don't take these films all that seriously anyway so it doesn't bother me that Frank can pretty much survive everything death throws at him. I do hate some of the CGI used in the sequel [you can't miss it really]. It looks faker than it should and it almost takes you out of the film. But other than that, the action sequences are the highlights of these movies.

The fighting choregraphy [by Corey Yuen] is also fantastic in both of these films. Jason Statham pretty much does most of the stunts in these films and he's a tremendous athlete. I'm not sure if he took martial arts training before THE TRANSPORTER, but Statham moves like a cat and is extremely believable when he's throwing punches and kicks, using his T-shirt to wrap it around the necks of goons, and covering himself with oil and busting heads that way. And the use of weapons as well is extremely impressive. Statham is not a dude I would fuck with in real life. The choregraphy is incredible and I see things in these films that I've never seen before in any action movie I had seen prior. I think the closest I've seen to these are in Jackie Chan films where the choregraphy is stunning to watch. There's definitely a Hong Kong influence when it comes to the fighting style and I've always been fascinated by these kung-fu style movies. Learning these steps is probably really tough. Making them look convincing is probably even tougher. But THE TRANSPORTER films make it possible. Sure, it's silly to see one man take out 10 guys with weapons all by himself in the matter of three to five minutes when you think about it, but it feels extremely right when you're watching Statham do it in THE TRANSPORTER and TRANSPORTER 2. Kudos to the people behind the scenes bringing the action and making it good.

The direction for these films are also very good. Corey Yuen and Louis Leterrier co-directed THE TRANSPORTER, with Yuen filming the action portions and Leterrier filming the most story driven stuff. To be quite honest, I didn't even realize two men directed this film until recently. Nothing about the film gives it away. It flows extremely well from beginning to end. THE TRANSPORTER feels like a Hong Kong action flick, as it has that mood going for it. It feels fresh and the cinematography is beautiful [kudos to Pierre Morel for that]. I do think the editing by Nicolas Trembasiewicz is a bit too much at times, especially during the action sequences, but it doesn't bother me a lot. But less jump-cuts would have made the sequences a bit more watchable.

Louis Leterrier solo directs TRANSPORTER 2 and does it really well again. Unlike the first one, Leterrier kisses reality goodbye and just lets shit rip, filming the most insane action sequences that assault the eyes and shut down the brain. TRANSPORTER 2 is pretty much Leterrier doing style over substance, but at least the style is pretty awesome. Also, the editing is a lot better here. You get a better feel of the action in the sequel as there's no major jump cuts that distract you. And again, the cinematography is beautiful. The film is a lot brighter and sunnier than in the original, as the film takes place in Miami. I really dig the direction in both films. Yuen and Leterrier provide action aficionados what they want and that's enough for me.

The acting is not these films strong suits, but I do feel the acting in THE TRANSPORTER is a bit better than in TRANSPORTER 2. Jason Statham is awesome in both installments, convincingly playing Frank Martin as a bad motherfucker who will kick your ass in so many ways that it'll make your head spin - probably literally. Statham is charismatic. Statham has a presence that makes you notice him. He's good when he speaks dialogue, but he's even better when he just uses facial expressions and body language to convey what the character is feeling. Plus, Statham is fantastic at fight choregraphy. The dude is a machine in these films. He is the franchise and he carries it extremely well.

Francois Bereland is also very good as Inspector Tarconi. His character acting and humorous take on Frank's world is a nice contrast to Frank's more serious and colder character. The two have great chemistry whenever they appear together on screen. I do think he's kind of wasted in TRANSPORTER 2 but hopefully he has a bigger role in TRANSPORTER 3 where he shares scenes with Statham. The two make a good duo.

The other actors are a mixed bag. Shu Qi is very beautiful and has a nice presence about her as Lai. I think her handling of dialogue is a bit weird, but that's probably because speaking in English on film is probably foreign for her. Sometimes she would sound natural; at others, it sounded almost like she was reading from a cue card. But I liked her and she made an interesting love interest, even if it wasn't all that believable.

Amber Valletta has more chemistry with Statham than Shu Qi, but doesn't get to do all that much really but cry and vent. She's a good actress but the role wasn't much for her. Matthew Modine was a bit of an overactor though. I don't know if he was having faux-Vietnam flashbacks from FULL METAL JACKET, but he was trying a bit too hard to be angry here. Plus his character wasn't developed enough for me to care. He's a better actor than this. Hunter Clary was cute as Jack though. Most child actors annoy the hell out of me, but Clary didn't. I actually liked the dynamic between him and Statham. The two shared nice chemistry that could probably melt alot of hearts.

The bad guys are also a mixed bag. I find the villains in THE TRANSPORTER to be better than the ones in TRANSPORTER 2. Matt Schulze was swarmy, sarcastic, and a real jerk as Darren Bettencourt. He was an asshole in THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS and he continued that persona here. And Ric Young as Mr. Kwai was a bigger dickhead, treating his daughter Lai as a business proposition rather than a family member. I bought these two in their roles, as cliched as they were, because at least they had personalities. Alessandro Gassman and Kate Nauta were pretty one-note in TRANSPORTER 2. Gassman just looked pretty I suppose with his accent. I guess he figured his toned body would do the acting for him. Didn't work, bro. At least Nauta was a little more fun to watch as the crazed Lola. I liked her scenes with Statham and they shared an interesting chemistry as well. Maybe if she was the main villain, the film probably would have been equal to the original. But she was Gassman's lackey and Gassman was pretty much a pussy. Kind of lame, but I guess that's to be expected from these action flicks.

THINGS I'VE LEARNED WHILE KICKING ASS IN MY BUSINESS SUIT

- If you want to rob a bank, do it in France. Not only are the police not great at their job at all, but they'll probably surrender before the chase even begins. Sucre bleu!

- Frank has a photographic memory. Unfortunately, that means he can't forget GHOST OF MARS or IN THE NAME OF THE KING: A DUNGEON SIEGE TALE. No wonder he's so sullen.

- If you're transporting a female prisoner, never let her out if she wants to pee. She's lying and is trying to escape. Remember - women always go to the bathroom in groups, never alone.

- Don't bomb a British man's car. He'll get so bloody pissed off that your fate will be as bad as marrying Madonna. Let's not get SWEPT AWAY, shall we?

- Don't leave a kidnapped Asian in your house while you go to bed. She'll snoop around, find info about you to get into your life, do your homework, and eat all of your pets. Yoko O-no!

- Saving the life of an Asian can be beneficial. Remember, if you do they'll love you long time.

- Lai's father paid hundreds of dollars to send her to school and teach her English. Couldn't she just have watched Sesame Street? What a rip off! And I thought Asians were smart!

- If you need to fight like 8 guys at once, cover yourself with oil. No one will be able to touch you. Like Frankie Valli once sang, "Grease is the word."

- Frank is not afraid of AnnaLynne McCord, even when she was holding a gun on him. He must have seen 90210. Laughable, I know!

- The bad guys had Frank by the balls in Miami. If this was Miami Vice, this shit wouldn't have happened. Well, maybe to Tubbs. But Crockett and his 5 o'clock would have totally kicked ass!

- Frank has the ability to jump over ramps, knock off bombs planted beneath his car in mid-air, flip 360 degrees, and still drive away without a scratch on his car. It's just like Grand Theft Auto! Insane Stunt Bonus, baby!

- TRANSPORTER 2 shows that one can hunt down and capture criminals by uploading info from an iPod from one computer to another. Man, my iPod can barely shuffle songs from a playlist without the hard drive going nuts on me, freezing the damn thing. What the fuck?

- Frank jumped from a boardwalk onto a waterski below, flipping the female driver over his shoulder so he can take control. Frank sure knows how to handle the ladies and make them wet.

- Frank used sliced watermelon as boxing gloves. We all laughed at him, but we should have known Gallagher was onto something.

- Frank keeps an extra suit and tie in his car trunk. I guess every girl is crazy 'bout a sharp dressed man.

- Lola was killed by a wall of spikes. I'm sure that wasn't her first time being impaled...

- Frank and Gianni were fighting and floating inside an out-of-control spinning airplane that was about to crash. Geez, where's Ted Striker and Otto when you need them?

THE FINAL HOWL
If you're looking for some intelligence in your action coffee, THE TRANSPORTER and TRANSPORTER 2 are not gonna satisfy your brain. But if you just want to kick back and have fun watching insane stuff happen to people and their cars that would probably never happen in real life, then these two films are the perfect popcorn flicks for your action fix. I'm pretty sure TRANSPORTER 3 will be just as stupid as these two films are and I can't wait. If you haven't seen these films for whatever reason, don't go in expecting much. Follow that rule and you'll enjoy THE TRANSPORTER and TRANSPORTER 2.