CynicalDriver

I started watching this movie not expecting much, and got something unique for my efforts. While the story seems a little dated, the acting is actually quite good. Emma Roberts and Sara Silverman do excellent jobs in their supporting roles, while Mickey Rourke steals pretty much every scene he is in. It all makes for a pretty good watch.

What this is not is a movie about a spy. This is a movie about a kid (Nat Wolff) who needs a little old-school guidance to grow up, and gets it in spades when he makes himself a part of Ashby's (Rourke) life. This will not be one of those movies that people talk about in 20 years, but it does its job for today, so if you can't figure out what to watch tonight, giver it a shot. You might be surprised.

8/10 - Because the movie has heart, with a hint of attitude, yet doesn't trip over itself with the spy angle like most of these kinds of films would.

I appreciate the efforts on the parts of the writers to try something new, and the acting was superb, but... Am I the only one who called the ending within the first few minutes? I can't possibly be. I found myself watching this movie and becoming increasingly disappointed as the story moved forward. Maybe I have a twisted mind, but I was continuously calling out the "twists" before they even happened.

Now, if you are reading this in an effort to try and decide whether you should watch it, ignore me. I say that because most people didn't share my experiences on this. Most people were surprised by the twists, and even I did appreciate watching something new anyway. Check it out, because most people will not look at it the way I did, and then it can be enjoyed.

One of the hallmarks of the Transporter series is the driving sequences. While you will experience some decent chases here, there lacks a certain gravitas that the other movies managed to bring to us. It seems as though the writers chose to try and lace more story development into the franchise which, ordinarily, I would support. The problem is they don't succeed in making you really care.

One could argue that Jason Statham is a better "Transporter" and not be completely wrong, but I have never understood why there had to be only one. Surely there are others in the world who do what he does. The thing is, and this is not a hit against Ed Skrein (who did do a fairly good job, despite the ludicrous dialogue) the casting director tried so hard to find the next Statham that we just end up missing him even more. Had they decided to take this in a truly new direction, then perhaps I would have liked it.

The "love" angle just doesn't work, and the "bad guys" are too hapless to be taken seriously as criminal kingpins. The most threatening character was just a chick who barely had any lines at all... Though she, like all the women in this movie, is gorgeous. The "customers" are equally one-dimensional, and feature a back-story that is supposed to make you care, but is such a side-note that you almost forget about it until the end. I did enjoy the Dad character though, and the moments between Ray Stevenson and Ed are the most dynamic.

So... Since the story fails to really make you invested, and the characters are one-dimensional, and the action scenes don't focus on driving... Why are we supposed to watch it? Good question. Unless you simply cannot stay away from driving movies, even if they don't focus on the driving like they should, then check it out; but if you expect this to be a true Transporter flick, then skip it.

5/10 because of Ed and Ray's performances, beautiful women, and at least being willing to try some new things. 5 points lost because of bad writing, poor action sequences, and not enough focus on actual transporting.