TRANSPORTER 3 **½

Directed by Olivier Megaton this action film stars: Jason Statham, Francois Berleand, Natalya Rudakova, and Robert Knepper. Rated PG-13 for sequences of intense action and violence, some sexual content and drug material. Running time is one hour and 40 minutes.

Frank Martin (Statham) is pressured into transporting the kidnapped daughter (Rudakova) of the head of the Environmental Protection Agency for the Ukraine, from Marseilles through Stuttgart and Budapest until he ends up in Odessa on the Black Sea. Despite her cynical disposition and his resistance to get involved, they fall for each other, while escaping from one life-threatening situation after another. During his drive he is aided by French policeman Tarconi (Berleand) and repeatedly attacked by a corporate hit man (Knepper) and his thugs.

High octane action and a reasonable running time combined with an attractive cast made this an enjoyable film for me. Oh, the plot's silly but in the Transporter series it's always been the action that's the star. Rudakova is an interesting actress to look at, attractive but with the most freckles I've ever seen on a theatre screen. Most of the car scenes were probably CGI effects as I cannot imagine how you could really accomplish them. But that didn't subtract from their enjoyability. Again, the fast cuts and close-up camera style is used but not as much as in Quantum Of Solace, so it wasn't as disconcerting. This will be best viewed on a large screen and with very good sound.