As Frank Martin in The Transporter movies, Jason Statham delivered some of his career’s most incredible fight scenes. This over-the-top franchise about a highly skilled criminal delivery driver with a personal set of rules featured non-stop action as Frank fought foes from France to Miami and kicked butt on land, sky, and sea. As an incredible piece of mid-2000s action movie camp, Statham’s Transporter trilogy was a high point in a body of work filled with epic fight sequences and thrilling takedowns.
Frank Martin stood as one of Jason Statham’s strongest action heroes, and although the series continued for one more movie without his involvement, his contribution will always define this franchise. With an intense commitment to his role, Statham took down hordes of goons and excelled with incredible fight choreography in complex and heart-racing sequences. As a French action series co-created by Luc Besson, The Transporter movies kept the action consistent and the fighting fantastic throughout.
10 Beating Bandits On The Bus
The Transporter (2002)
The very first film featuring the highly skilled driver Frank Martin had so many incredible fight sequences that it’s hard to whittle them down to the very best. However, one incredible introduction to Frank’s extraordinary strength was his showdown against human trafficking criminals at a bus depot in The Transporter. Here, Frank took out Mr. Kwai’s men with ease as he twisted their arms, broke their limbs, and effortlessly took out hordes of men in a cramped, claustrophobic space.
Fight sequences like this were a testament to Frank’s insane stamina and quick-witted techniques, as it only took him a brief moment to concoct a plan to take out the bandits. By utilizing his surroundings, Frank frantically jumped across the buses and even threw one of his enemies out of it’s glass window. While Frank would have even more impressive fights throughout the Transporter series, this was a prime example of his unquestionable skill.
9 The Warehouse Showdown
Transporter 2 (2005)
The warehouse fight in Transporter 2 occurred after the young child Jack, whom Frank Martin was tasked with looking after, had been abducted by Gianni Chellini’s men. Having been seriously wronged, Frank was in no mood to be messed with and ruthlessly took out several men brandishing hatches and swords. Frank avoided all of their attacks without fear and used only his hands to defeat all the men, as the room was filled with steam due to the broken warehouse equipment during the fight.
This well-choreographed fight sequence was packed with fast-paced action and intense heart-pumping music, although Frank never broke a sweat as he stayed calm, collected, and cool in his black-and-white suit. Finally, after showing off his skills, Frank grabbed a metal rod and used it to catapult the men into nearby trash containers before impaling the final goon with a rod to the chest. This was an extreme example of Frank’s no-holds-barred mentality when it came to taking out sinister criminals.
8 A Room Full Of Goons
Transporter 3 (2008)
Transporter 3 was yet another action-packed spectacular showcase of Frank Martin’s skills, although it focused more on car chases and shootouts than straight-up hand-to-hand combat. However, there were some notable exceptions to this, such as the room full of goons Frank had to contend with while trying to deliver Valentina, the kidnapped daughter of a Ukrainian government official, from Marseilles to Odessa on the Black Sea. This epic showdown saw Frank taking down hordes of men while Valentia was handcuffed nearby.
By this point in his career, Statham had transformed into a fully-fledged action star.
While this fight sequence didn’t bring anything new to the table for the Transporter series, it was yet another high-octane look at Frank doing what Frank does best. By this point in his career, Statham had transformed into a fully-fledged action star capable of performing some truly impressive acrobats. As Frank took off his shirt for more mobility, it was thrilling to see how he even utilized his tie to choke out and take down the henchmen.
7 A Doctor’s Appointment
Transporter 2 (2005)
Even though Frank Martin has always been ruthless when it came to his enemies, he’s also shown an incredible level of empathy throughout the Transporter franchise. This was especially the case for young Jack, the child Frank was tasked with looking after in Transporter 2. For this reason, it was clear that Gianni’s men had messed with the wrong guy when they falsely presented themselves as doctors in order to abduct Jack straight from his medical appointment.
While this would have been a cunning tactic, Frank was quick to spot something was amiss and a fully-fledged battle took place right in the hospital. With Jack making his escape through nearby vents, Frank used the medical equipment surrounding him to attack and disarm the fake doctors. Things got even more intense as Frank had to contend with the trigger-happy bikini-clad criminal Lola, who open-fired on Frank before, in one of the most epic moments in the entire franchise, the office exploded in a blaze of glory.
6 Frank Martin Vs. Car Thieves
Transporter 2 (2005)
The Transporter series has always delivered when it came to memorable opening scenes, and perhaps the best example of this was when Frank Martin took out the car thieves at the beginning of Transporter 2. This started off as a classic car-jacking situation, yet viewers were well aware from the beginning that these con artists had messed with the wrong guy. After some enjoyable back and forth between Statham and the ignorant criminals, Frank let loose on the robbers in a thrilling four-against-one fight.
Part of the appeal of this epic fight scene was not just the choreography but Frank’s cool demeanor as he asks for a moment to take off his newly dry-cleaned suit jacket before showing them what he’s made of. After this, Frank embodied some of the best Kung Fu stars of all time as he jumped and kicked his way to victory. With the men disarmed and the girl in total terror, Frank calmly got into his career and drove away in a true showcase of why Statham was one of the best action heroes of the 2000s.
5 Frank Vs. Lola
Transporter 2 (2005)
From the point that she was introduced in Transporter 2, audiences anticipated the showdown between Frank Martin and the unpredictable gang enforcer Lola (Kate Nauta). Although the Columbian crime boss Gianni Chellini was the main villain of the film, Lola was a more engaging antagonist as she utilized Glock 17’s with extended 32-round magazines to continually cause carnage. The fight between Frank and Lola felt akin to an immovable object meeting an unstoppable force, as they at first appeared totally evenly matched.
This fight became even more intense as Lola swung across Chellini’s mansion and showed off her incredible acrobatic skills. Yet, despite Lola’s best efforts, she could not defeat Frank and ended up impaled on Chellini’s wine rack, a classic example of the mid-2000s cheesy action movie aesthetic. This over-the-top campy fight scene embodied everything that was fun and engaging about the Transporter series.
4 Hatchet Hallway Fight
The Transporter (2002)
Although there were some hints about Frank Martin’s incredible fighting skills in the early part of The Transporter, it was not until he entered Wall Street’s villa and took out several henchmen that the true potential of his character was revealed. This iconic scene began with the unprepared men innocently playing cards before an intense shootout began as Frank sought to free the kidnapped young woman, Lai (Shu Qi.) Things were heating up as the goons attempted to destroy Frank with hatchets, but they were no match for him.
This intense scene saw Frank punching and kicking his way through a cramped hallway as he fearlessly evaded attacks from all sides. Throughout epic axe fighting, non-stop shooting, and fast-paced hand-to-hand combat, Jason Statham’s fighting skills in this scene signaled the dawning of a new action hero. With cool confidence, Frank had no issue taking out all the men as he freed Lai and later sought to help her free 400 Chinese immigrants trapped in shipping containers.
3 Jonas Johnson Train Fight
Transporter 3 (2008)
Despite Transporter 3 being the weakest of Jason Statham’s Transporter trilogy, the final train fight between Frank Martin and Jonas Johnson was one of the series’ most epic showdowns. As the culmination of Frank’s treacherous quest to save Valentina Tomilenko, this high-stakes battle was a thrilling showcase of Statham’s incredible talent for big action set-piece sequences. From literally driving a car on top of the carriages to crashing into the moving train, this over-the-top fight may have stretched the limits of believability in the best possible way.
With the stakes as high as they’ve ever been, watching Frank drag Johnson across the floor and beat him within an inch of his life was a tension-filled extravaganza. Even as Johnson pulled a knife and desperately tried to come out top while spouting cheesy onliners, Frank kept his composure and pushed back. The fight ended with Frank attaching the explosive bracelet to Johnson’s arm and, in typical over-the-top Transporter style, meeting his end in a blaze of glory while still on the moving train.
2 Frank Confronts Chellini In The Sky
Transporter 2 (2005)
The inside of an airplane has always been an excellent place for the climax of an action movie, as heroes and villains have no choice but to fight it out until the bitter end because there’s no escape route. This was certainly the case for Frank Miller versus Gianni Chellini in Transporter 2, as their calm confrontation over a drink soon turned as fists started to fly. This high-stakes showdown got even more exciting as their conflict spun the plane, and they were to fight while being thrust across the upside airplane.
With intense turbulence, neither foe wanted to give up as the plane literally crashed into the ocean.
With intense turbulence, neither foe wanted to give up as the plane literally crashed into the ocean, and their sky-high flight turned into an underwater battle. With this development, it was hard to tell what would kill them first, the fighting or their inevitable drowning as they attempted to choke one another out. Of course, Frank managed to emerge victorious in the end, but this was the most intense and ruthless one-on-one fight sequence in the entire franchise.
1 Greased Fighting
The Transporter (2002)
This franchise was at its best when it took highly goofy concepts and played them completely straight, which was exactly the case for the greased fighting sequence in The Transporter. As the most ridiculous fight in the entire series, this was also incredibly engaging as Jason Statham took out countless goons as they slid their way in and out of the camera’s view. Frank Martin used his surroundings of an overturned barrel of oil as no enemy could hold onto him long enough to finally defeat him.
With Frank covered in blood and oil, an intense musical score, and some truly spectacular choreography, this scene was the epitome of fighting in the Transporter series. It’s no surprise that this over-the-top action movie acted as the starting point for a new franchise, as the way it balanced action and comedy made for truly engaging viewing. With iconic imagery and a badass hero, the greased fighting scene was The Transporter at its very best.
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The Transporter is an action-thriller franchise that began with the 2002 film directed by Corey Yuen and produced by Luc Besson. The series follows Frank Martin, a professional driver and former special operations soldier, who specializes in transporting packages—no questions asked. The franchise is known for its high-octane action sequences, stylish car chases, and Jason Statham’s portrayal of Frank Martin in the first three films. The series has expanded to include four films, a television series, and a reboot, maintaining its popularity as a staple of action cinema.
Created by Luc Besson , Robert Mark Kamen First Film The Transporter Latest Film The Transporter Refueled First TV Show Transporter The Series Latest TV Show Transporter The Series First Episode Air Date October 11, 2012 Cast Jason Statham , Shu Qi , Francois Berleand , Matt Schulze , Alessandro Gassmann , Natalya Rudakova , Ed Skrein , Ray Stevenson , Chris Vance , Andrea Osvart TV Show(s) Transporter The Series Character(s) Frank Martin , Inspector Tarconi , Lai Kwai , Darren “Wall Street” Bettencourt , Valentina Vasileva , Johnson , Dieter Hausmann , Gianni Chellini , Lola , Caterina “Cat” Boldieu
Summary
The Transporter is an action-thriller franchise that began with the 2002 film directed by Corey Yuen and produced by Luc Besson. The series follows Frank Martin, a professional driver and former special operations soldier, who specializes in transporting packages—no questions asked. The franchise is known for its high-octane action sequences, stylish car chases, and Jason Statham’s portrayal of Frank Martin in the first three films. The series has expanded to include four films, a television series, and a reboot, maintaining its popularity as a staple of action cinema.
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