Transporter 3

Sporting ‘action man’ square-jawed looks, a perfect five-o’clock shadow, an impressive six-pack and the obligatory gravel voice, Jason ‘The Stath’ Statham is a more likeable action hero than the majority of Hollywood’s musclebound mob.

Co-writer-producer Luc Besson’s Gallic, low-budget, English-language, speed-caper franchise continues apace with Statham reprising his role as the world’s most in-demand driver. In this episode he’s forced – by way of a bracelet that’s programmed to blow if he moves beyond 70 feet of his flash Audi S8 – into a kidnap venture involving the saucy daughter of a top Ukrainian environment minister. Can he deliver his ‘package’ without a hitch and still find time to beat the living daylights out of Robert Knepper’s violent perpetrator?

Olivier Megaton’s actioner provides a fair few laughs, some exquisitely choreographed hand-to-hand combat sequences and at least three OTT car chases. The flashy editing gets on one’s wick and no one’s going to win an Oscar – but, really, who’s complaining? This is straight-up fisticuff fun.