Today’s Prayer Focus
MOVIE REVIEW
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Transporter 3

MPA Rating: PG-13 for sequences of intense action and violence, some sexual content and drug material.

Reviewed by: Gabriel Mohler
CONTRIBUTOR

Moral Rating: Offensive
Moviemaking Quality:
Primary Audience: Adults Teens
Genre: Action Crime Thriller Sequel
Length: 1 hr. 48 min.
Year of Release: 2008
USA Release: November 26, 2008 (wide—2,500 theaters)
DVD: March 10, 2009
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Relevant Issues
Copyright, Lionsgate

self-sacrifice

bravery / courage

Casual sex

fornication

PURITY—Should I save sex for marriage? Answer

SEXUAL LUST—What does the Bible say about it? Answer


FILM VIOLENCE—How does viewing violence in movies affect families? Answer

Featuring Jason StathamFrank Martin
Natalya RudakovaValentina
François BerléandTarconi
Robert KnepperJohnson
Jeroen Krabbé … Leonid Vasilev
Alex Kobold … Leonid's Aide
David Atrakchi … Malcom Manville
Yann Sundberg … Flag
Eriq Ebouaney … Ice
See all »
Director Olivier Megaton
Producer Apipoulai Production, Current Entertainment, Europa Corp., Grive Productions, TF1 Films Productions, Luc Besson, Steve Chasman
Distributor

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.


Viewer CommentsSend your comments
Positive
Positive—This movie was a typical action movie of good v. evil. The action was fun and intense, very similar to a James Bond type movie. The main character was very handsome, excellent at martial arts and had lots of cool moves.

The rating of PG-13 is appropriate given three or four curse words (the F-word and GD) and lots of violence. There was no nudity, although there was one very suggestive strip scene. However, it did not show the couple in bed together or waking up together the next day, etc.

Overall, I would say that this movie is fine for Christians over 13. However, I think the reason to get romantically involved with someone is not because you are about to die.

With all the talk of death, there was no reference to God or Jesus, and their only thought before, what seemed like impending death, was to make out. This might be good fodder for conversation with your teen!
My Ratings: Moral rating: Average / Moviemaking quality: 3½
Kelly M. Barron, age 41
Positive—I watched this movie last night, and I like John Statham. The movie was awesome, and I like action movies, but the only thing I didn’t care for is how young the co-star actress was. She was 24 years old when the movie was made, and she looked only 17. So there was really a big mis-match with her and John. I liked both actors, but together it just didn’t pair for me. And another thing I didn’t care for is that she had been drinking before they had sexual relations, and John was straight. So I didn’t care for that either. But overall he’s a good actor and liked the movie.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Average / Moviemaking quality: 5
Corrina, age 40 (USA)
Comments from young people
Negative—I asked my mom if we could rent this movie, as we enjoyed Transporter 1 very much. I checked the reveiws, and they were positive. After watching, I told my mom I would like to leave a negative comment. There is bad language, including the f-word that is writen in the subtitles, there is a scene where the lead character is seduced by the girl and takes his clothes off while she is dancing. She also does drugs in the car and drinks Vodka. I don't think this is a good movie for Christians to watch.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Average / Moviemaking quality: 4
Matyn, age 13 (South Africa)
Negative—Transporter 3! Well, it is a movie to see if you like cars, especially Audis, and the driving scenes were really awesome. So were the fighting scenes as well. But, morally, the film was bankrupt. The woman (Valentina) acts like a shameless hussy (especially in one scene at the gas station), Frank loses his little respect and dignity (if he had any).

Really, it’s just another lousy, pathetic, action-packed, romance film. Believe me, I have seen a lot of them. However if you take out the “gd” word (a few other profanities), a scene of a guy getting his arm decapitated, and all that other junk, it was a great film!
My Ratings: Moral rating: Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 3½
Ian, age 16 (USA)
Movie Critics
‘Transporter 3’ stays in low gear… the weakest in the series and a rare disappointment from French action movie producer Luc Besson. …the fight scenes are lackluster and the plot is needlessly complicated.
Peter Hartlaub, San Francisco Chronicle
…Fueled by a soundtrack that bumps from Iggy to Tricky to Busta Rhymes, Frank’s latest road trip compares well to the bigger-budgeted “Quantum of Solace.” The jokes are sharper, and the plot, while silly, is less preposterous than in the latest Bond misfire. …
Mark Jenkins, National Public Radio (NPR)
Statham delivers in ‘Transporter 3’…proves he's overdue for superstardom. And if you're addicted to action, it will put you in adrenaline-freak heaven. …
Michael Sragow, Baltimore Sun
…If you’re going to a no-frills action film, though, at least you want the action to be entertaining, which is where “Transporter 3” falls down. … The romance, with its awful dialogue, is typical of the linguistic mishmash of the film, which has too many European actors attempting other nationalities’ accents. …
Liam Lacey, Globe and Mail