Jason Statham, the British martial artist turned actor, solidified his status as a bankable action star with the Transporter franchise. Recently, Transporter 2 has been making waves on Netflix, claiming the second spot on the streaming platform’s top ten films list globally.
Statham’s journey to becoming a household name as an action star began with his portrayal of Frank Martin in the first Transporter film, released in 2002. The franchise, known for its high-octane car chases, martial arts choreography, and Statham’s stoic yet charismatic presence, quickly gained a cult following.
Statham had been reluctant to wear the title of an action hero, as he had expressed to IGN, “There’s nothing wrong with it. Yeah, it’s nice. It’s a funny title to wear, actually. But I suppose as soon as you start doing stuff and doing your own stunt, people will kind of consider you the action hero. It’s not like a label I’m trying to build. I try to mix things up and do other movies as well.”
“Most of my favourite action movies, my ultimate favourites, are like the Bruce Lee movies,” Statham had said about his personal action heroes, “They’re always an R-rated kind of movie. It’s just a bit more graphic, you know? I think if violence is going to be depicted in a film, then just show it how it should be.”
Transporter 2, directed by Louis Leterrier and released in 2005, played a pivotal role in establishing Statham as a go-to actor for action-packed entertainment. Written by Luc Besson and Robert Mark Kamen, Transporter 2 sees Statham, who recently had a shark saga hit the Netflix top ten list, reprising his role as Frank Martin, a professional driver with a knack for navigating dangerous situations.
The film takes a thrilling turn when Martin becomes entangled in a kidnapping plot involving a young boy. As he races against time to save the child, audiences are treated to a rollercoaster of stunts, explosive action, and Statham’s signature tough-guy persona.
Last week, Transporter 2, a veritable blast from the past, soared to the top ten films list on Netflix in 66 countries worldwide, from the United Kingdom to New Zealand. Within just one week, the film accumulated 8.5 million hours of viewing time.
You can watch Transporter 2 on Netflix and catch the trailer here:
