Time: 96 Minutes
Age Rating: R16 – Violence
Cast:
Ed Skrein as Frank Martin Jr.
Ray Stevenson as Frank Martin Sr.
Loan Chabanol as Anna
Gabriella Wright as Gina
Tatjana Pajković as Maria
Yu Wenxia as Qiao
Radivoje Bukvić as Arkady Karasov
Noémie Lenoir as Maïssa
Lenn Kudrjawizki as Leo Imasov
Yuri Kolokolnikov as Yuri
Samir Guesmi as Inspector Bectaoui
Anatole Taubman as Stanislav Turgin
Director: Camille Delamarre

I enjoyed the first two Transporter movies, they were over the top and silly action thrillers that weren’t great but were fun. The third movie directed by Olivier Megaton however was a notable step down, which ended the trilogy off on an underwhelming note. I really didn’t hear any positive things about the intended reboot to the series, starring Ed Skrein replacing Jason Statham. Still, I was curious to check it out. Having seen The Transporter Refueled, it’s not good but following the third movie put it in perspective, and I admit that I had some fun with it.

I’m not the type to debate as to whether movies are necessary or not, but I’m not really sure why this movie exists. It just feels like another entry in the series, except that protagonist Frank Martin isn’t played by Jason Statham this time, and his dad is now in the plot. It doesn’t reinvent things in a meaningful way. On its own as an action movie, The Transporter Refueled is very generic and manages to be both dull and silly, and not even silly in an enjoyable way.

Ed Skrein takes on the role of Frank Martin and he’s no Jason Statham for sure. All things considering however, he did alright as an action lead, and had charisma and was okay in the action scenes. The biggest problem with him is just that he isn’t Jason Statham. Ray Stevenson was a highlight of the movie, playing Frank’s dad. He’s charming and funny, and I liked the dynamic between him and Skrein. The rest of the cast don’t fare nearly as well.

Camille Delamarre’s direction isn’t particularly good, but was definitely a step up from Olivier Megaton’s direction in Transporter 3. The action sequences aren’t the best and have quite a number of cuts, but only in the average modern action way and the editing isn’t egregious. It’s still easy to tell what’s going on, it doesn’t use obnoxious shaky cam, and a few action sequences are enjoyable.

The Transporter Refueled is a very generic action movie and an odd and unnecessary reboot to the series, but it’s elevated by solid performances from Ed Skrein and Ray Stevenson. It’s at least better than the third installment.