Transporter 3 feels so much like a Tony Scott film with its stylistic choices. Unfortunately, Olivier Megaton is unable to capture that same suspenseful tone as in Scott’s films. Basically, Olivier Megaton is like Tony Scott-lite. On the other hand, Megaton delivers on the action. After all, this is a Transporter film. The fight choreography is smooth and the car stunts are fast and dynamic. Then again these scenes feel generic since there’s nothing too memorable or exciting about them.
The same can be said about the story and characters too. The Transporter franchise has never been built upon a complex storyline. Yet there’s also been a bit of fun and intrigue to them. With Transporter 3, the stakes don’t feel that interesting. The same goes for the lead female character and villain too. Valentina is the epitome of the useless and annoying female character. She brings nothing to the table and her actions significantly slow down the pacing of the film. Johnson is a bit charming but he isn’t interesting nor does he feel like a threat.
The plot of the film is very formulaic as well. Basically, whenever Frank and Valentina are not in the car then action ensues. When they are in the car they’re simply giving exposition and backstory. Not to mention, the film is very predictable. If you’ve ever seen an action film then you can tell where the film is going right away.
Nevertheless, Jason Statham is still the same suave and debonair Frank Martin. At the same time, he still doesn’t give Martin a personality. He’s still the same stoic guy as he was in the other two films. In other words, Frank Martin is still the same character in all three films. He has not developed at all.
Natalya Rudakova isn’t given much to do in this film other than being an annoying and useless character. Then again, she does annoy really well. Robert Knepper is charming as Johnson. But like Rudakova, he isn’t given much to do.
Overall, Transporter 3 is a generic and joyless sequel. The action is great but it covers up the garden-variety characters and storyline. The other two films were the same way but at least they were entertaining with a little bit of intrigue mixed in for good measure. Essentially this is a film that should’ve stayed on the lot.
Movie Rating: 2/5 atoms
Video
Transporter 3 hits 4K Ultra HD with a Dolby Vision/HDR10 4K transfer and a 2.35:1 aspect ratio. The contrast is particularly high during a majority of scenes in this film. Essentially, it’s a stylistic choice by director Olivier Megaton so don’t be surprised if you see it. Nevertheless, the black levels are inky and a pure black. Unfortunately, this also results in some crushing in the shadow details because of the high contrast. The brightness is vivid with a slight hint of bloom. Again, this is due to the high contrast as well. However, the HDR does fix the overly bright video on the 1080p Blu-ray.
The detail clarity is so crisp and distinct here. Every facial hair, hair strand, wrinkle, and more can clearly be seen.not to mention, the film grain is noticeable as well. There is a very minimal use of colors in this film. In addition, these colors doesn’t necessarily pop from the screen. Nevertheless, the colors and skin tones do look natural. Overall, this is a pretty good video presentation.
Video Rating: 4/5 atoms
Audio
Transporter 3 hits 4K Ultra HD with a Dolby Atmos and a core 7.1 Dolby TrueHD track. The review will reflect Transporter 3‘s core 7.1 Dolby TrueHD Master Audio track. The spatial and atmospheric effects is absolutely amazing here. These effects provide an immersive experience for an action-packed film. Not to mention, they’re able seamlessly pan through the entire entire soundstage. The score also fills up the entire soundstage as well. It’s able to make good use of all the individual channels in your sound system. Unfortunately, the high energy music takes over the soundstage then the spatial sound effects take a back seat. The LFE also adds some weight to the audio mix and the dialogue can clearly be heard through the center channel. Overall, this is an awesome audio mix.
Audio Rating: 5/5 atoms
Special Features
Transporter 3‘s 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray contains the following special features on the disc:
- Audio Commentary with Director Olivier Megaton
- Special Delivery: Transporters in the Real World
- Making of Transporter 3
- Storyboard Compare
- Visual Effects
- The Sets
- Theatrical Trailer
Sadly, all of the special features are in 480p standard definition. Not to mention that the special features are a sign of the times as well. The special features are edited in a way that’s different from current day featurettes. Be that as it may, “Transporters in the Real World” provides some interesting information about real-life transporters. However, the speakers give information like they’re college professors. They’re not the interesting kind of professors either. “The Making of” featurette briefly covers a wide array of subjects but it never goes too in-depth. Lastly, the final three featurettes provide an uninteresting look into a few tidbits from the film. They’re short and only cover one scene per featurette.
Special Features Rating: 2/5 atoms
Overall, Transporter 3 is a disappointing return for Frank Martin. The franchise never was high art but the films were at least entertaining. This film isn’t even that. Fortunately, the video is decent and the audio mix are top-notch. Unfortunately, the special features are neither high definiton nor interesting watches.
Overall Rating: 3.5/5 atoms
This Blu-ray was reviewed using a retail/advance copy/unit provided by Lionsgate Home Entertainment.
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