6.2 | / 10 |
Users | 3.9 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.9 |
Frank Martin puts the driving gloves on to deliver Valentina, the kidnapped daughter of a Ukranian government official, from Marseilles to Odessa on the Black Sea. En route, he has to contend with thugs who want to intercept Valentina's safe delivery and not let his personal feelings get in the way of his dangerous objective.
Starring: Jason Statham, Natalya Rudakova, François Berléand, Robert Knepper, Jeroen KrabbéAction | 100% |
Thriller | 69% |
Crime | 40% |
Martial arts | 17% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
French: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
English, English SDH, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (1 BD, 1 DVD)
Digital copy (on disc)
Bonus View (PiP)
BD-Live
Region A (locked)
Movie | 2.5 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 5.0 | |
Extras | 2.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
One condition: I drive my own car.
The Transporter films, like xXx and xXx: State of the
Union,
for example, represent solid if not unexceptional genre pictures that offer shoulder-shrugging
entertainment. Now under
the wings of a new studio, seeing its third director in three tries, but retaining the same star,
they're good enough to keep the audience watching through to the end, but
good luck remembering the finer details a week later. Other than generic Horror, there may be
no other
genre so consumable and ultimately forgettable than moderately-budgeted Action pictures.
They're
akin to a good fast-food hamburger, maybe something that might be found at a Chotchkie's if everything
goes right, but don't expect prime rib here. These sorts of pictures are easy, cheap, readily
available, and satisfy even a modest hunger for entertainment.
Don't you even look at my car!
Lionsgate delivers Transporter 3 to Blu-ray with a stunning 1080p transfer presented inside its 2.35:1 theatrical aspect ratio. The image is consistently sharp and clear and impresses from the get-go. It features incredibly rich colors that jump straight off the screen and are presented fairly naturally, perhaps slightly warm in appearance. Transporter 3 ranks near the level of excellence as seen in Australia, both in terms of its color as well as the clarity and depth of the image, not to mention the fantastic spectrum of detail that is to be seen in every shot. Rock formations, crowded city streets, human faces, and more offer jaw-dropping resolution that rivals the very best seen so far on Blu-ray. Even long-distance shots reveal clarity and detail that is above and beyond, with every square inch of most every frame revealing seemingly each nuance there is to be seen. Film grain is lightly presented over the transfer and adds to the theatrical-quality feel of the Blu-ray presentation. Black levels are generally exceptional, though flesh tones occasionally stray towards a red shade. Transporter 3 represents another demo-worthy transfer from Lionsgate.
Lionsgate brings Transporter 3 to Blu-ray with a top-of-the-line DTS-HD MA 7.1 lossless soundtrack sure to wake the neighbors. The track creates a full and rich sound field with sonic goodness emanating consistently from each speaker in conjunction with a tremendous amount of deep, rumbling bass, and that's just what is to be heard during the film's opening moments. Transporter 3 offers a nonstop sonic attack that will test even the best of sound systems. Bass is easily the sonic highlight of the film. Whether in the rip-roaring music, many explosions, or just the rumbling of an idle car engine, its presence is heard -- and felt -- consistently throughout the movie. The track also offers a more subtle yet highly effective presence in quieter scenes; two brief fishing scenes in the film feature the calming water flowing realistically around the listening area, and listeners will be everything but wet. Dialogue reproduction, too, is worthy of a top-tier soundtrack. Still, it is the action sequences that shine, and they are ridiculously loud and aggressive, sure to leave a 104-minute grin on the faces of home theater enthusiasts everywhere.
Transporter 3 bursts onto Blu-ray with several bonus features, a commentary track with
Director Olivier Megaton leading the charge. The director covers all the bases to satisfaction,
sharing
his recollections on the beginnings of the film, the impact of the actor's strike on the project, the
strengths of the script including his pleasure with both the villain and the performance of actor
Robert Knepper, the design of the bracelet, and plenty more. Megaton offers a track that is both
an
easy and pleasant listen. Special Delivery: Transporters in the Real World (480p, 13:49)
features interviews with former Secret Service agents, Intelligence Operatives, Special Forces,
and
Navy
SEALs, amongst others. They discuss the role of a real-world transporter, including duties,
clientele,
the
physical
and mental challenges of the profession, and more. Making-of 'Transporter 3' (480p,
16:16) takes viewers briefly through the process of the production, looking at the challenge of
improving on the first two films, including a glimpse at the film's costuming; fight choreography
and stunts; Robert Knepper's, Jason Statham's, and Natalya (Sasha) Rudakova's contributions to
the film; and shooting the car chase sequences and the film's climax. The piece is intercut with
plenty of interview clips with primary cast and crew.
Storyboard Compare (480p, 2:47)
looks at the importance of storyboards to the film. Visual Effects (480p, 2:33) is an
interesting and too-brief look at the incorporation of special effects into the film. The
Sets (480p, 2:10) examines the architecture as seen in Frank Martin's home and takes
another brief look at the making of the film's climax. Concluding this supplemental package is
MOLOG functionality and 1080p trailers for Transporter 3, Crank 2: High
Voltage, The Punisher, Bangkok
Dangerous, The Spirit, and War. Disc two of this
set features a digital copy of the film. Played back on a second generation iPod
Touch, the movie enjoys a nice looking transfer with strong colors, good detail, and far less
blocking than seen in most other digital copies. Likewise, the sound is fairly robust with discrete
effects traveling in between the two channels with good intensity, topped off with solid dialogue
reproduction.
At the end of the day, Transporter 3 is a transparent, irrelevant movie that offers fine action sequences wrapped up in a slightly less-than-coherent, paper-thin plot. It's a nice time waster but not much more. It tries to be a bit more than a straight action picture, attempting to develop and showcase a tender side and relationship between its lead characters that more often fizzles rather than succeeds. Lionsgate's Blu-ray presentation of Transporter 3 is as expected -- marvelous. The video quality is razor-sharp and wonderfully detailed, bested only by the explosive lossless soundtrack. The disc even offers a decent supplemental package. Jason Statham and Transporter fans should be quick to add this to their collection, and Blu-ray aficionados looking for the latest top-tier soundtrack should give this one a rental.
2005
2002
Banlieue 13
2004
2005
Extreme Cut
2009
2-Disc Extended Cut
2008
2009
Rogue Assassin
2007
Extended Edition
2011
2015
2012
2013
1995
Unrated
2007
Unrated Cut
2012
Unrated Edition
2012
2010
Extended Cut
2013
2012
1996