Starring: Jason Statham, Natalya Rudakova, Robert Knepper
Running time: 104 mins
Rating: Two stars

THE original Transporter is a dim memory.

Transporter 2, I didn’t see. That’s not a problem when we come to Transporter 3, as nothing makes much sense in this action thriller.

Jason Statham is the link between all three as strong, silent type Frank Martin.

He’s a man in a fast car well able to defend himself against a dozen tough guys at once. He’ll even whip off his jacket, shirt and tie and use them as weapons against his opponents which, of course, gives him a chance to display his well-toned, muscular body for the delight of ladies in the audience.

This latest Transporter opens with a high-speed car chase through narrow streets in Marseilles and pauses only briefly to apply the handbrake while Statham exchanges a few words, meaningful glances and the odd threat to those around him.

It is unmitigated nonsense of the kind that does well on DVD, but adds nothing to the art of cinema.

A plot of sorts has Frank hired to transport a package to Budapest. He finds an attractive Ukranian (Natalya Rudakova) asleep on the back seat and his action man persona is somewhat restricted by wearing an exploding bracelet that will blow up if he moves more than 20 metres from his vehicle.

There are car chases and crashes galore, culminating in Frank driving his vehicle off a bridge and on to the roof of a moving train.

That’s one way of solving your parking problem. The action is excitingly staged, the martial arts fights flash by in a flurry of flailing limbs, high kicks and jumping about.

As for the acting, Statham deserves a prize for maintaining the same blank expression and monotone voice throughout. His car has more personality.