Statham returns in "Transporter 2," swapping his BMW for an Audi and the French Riviera for a sun-soaked, drug-infested Miami à la "Bad Boys II." As in the original, the plot thickens when Statham's package is revealed to be a person-in this case, the kidnapped child of a U.S. Drugs and Narcotics Agency official. He is the involuntary carrier of a deadly virus intended to wipe out those who dare threaten the city's powerful drug cartels.
While the story which follows from this premise is sure to have audiences rolling their eyes, it bears repeating that "The Transporter" and its sequel are hardly intended for intrigue; their appeal is not of the cerebral kind but the kinetic, drawn from gratuitous-yet-gratifying violence-simple popcorn fun. Even in this relatively undemanding regard, however, "Transporter 2" does not reproduce the success of its predecessor.
The sequel fails to achieve the sense of style that lent "The Transporter" its exotic charm. "The Transporter" managed to take on the romantic and exotic mood of its French seaside setting, which had the effect of restraining the pace of the movie. As a result, the plot was allowed to move along deliberately. Each fight and car chase was a work of art, infrequent, innovative and distinct. The mood of the earlier movie is best summed up by the scene in which Statham paraglides over the French landscape, sun setting in the background, to save his lady love.
However, as "Transporter 2" moves to the Miami scene, it takes on the impatient feel of the bustling city. Scenes and plot are passed by in a flash, leaving the viewer somewhat disoriented as Statham moves from fight to fight and vehicle to vehicle. As Statham begins dodging bullets and flying about in cars and jet skis, each fight begins to run together until the viewer can no longer distinguish one from another. It all becomes like one big, uninspiring fight scene.
As if to add insult to injury, the token "romantic" interests in the movie are presented in the forms of an aborted relationship with the mother of the kidnapped child and the lascivious antics of a lingerie-clad model sporting big guns. You can almost feel the screenwriters' indifference.
However, this is not to say that "Transporter 2" completely lacks a little charm of its own. Despite the hectic pacing and frequent explosions, the movie manages to take on a light-hearted mood. One can't help but smile as Statham attempts to pass on his values to the child like a father to a son. It's also often difficult to hold back a chuckle as Tarconi (François Berléand), the charismatic French inspector from the first movie, aids Statham in his quest, all while cooking for the Feds.
All the same, charm isn't always what one looks for in an unabashedly mindless flick, which is what "Transporter 2" clearly strives to be. The lackluster action dominates in a movie that can do without everything but, consigning "Transporter 2" to the crowded graveyard of bad actioners. That is something even the sight of the coolest Audi in the baddest neighborhood cannot salvage.