Jason Statham returns as Frank Martin, aka, The Transporter, in this sequel that is a standard action movie. It is not a bad movie, it is more of a re-tread. Aside from the obvious plot holes, nothing new is learned about Martin.

Transporter 2 starts ominously for Martin. He is sitting in the middle of an empty parking garage in his new car of choice, a black Audi. Strangely, he waits until he is just about to leave to activate the car's lockout system. This pays dividends as he is promptly car-jacked by a sexy young woman with a gun. She is accompanied by four thugs who can't get Martin's car started. Just before the standard fisticuffs commence, Martin stops them to take off his suit jacket saying "It just came out of the dry cleaners." It is this type of droll humor that made the first movie enjoyable. He promptly dispatches the thugs all while the sexy girl stands there with her gun trained on him. Go figure! Martin realizes he is late for his latest transporting job.

Frank has left the South of France and has settled into Miami. The major plot-twist here is the object that Martin transports. Substituting for a friend, he is driving a young boy to and from school. The boy, Jack Billings, is the son of the head of the Drug Enforcement Agency.

In his usual trademark fashion of dispatching bad guys without using a gun, Martin foils a kidnapping attempt by Lola and her assistants. This scene is made all the better once Lola strips down to bra and panties with two machine pistols strapped to her thighs. When Jack's life is threatened, Frank drives away with Jack and Lola to elude police persuit. He saves Jack for the time being but delivers Jack to Gianni, the mastermind behind the kidnapping. Frank has made a promise that no harm will befall Jack while under his protection. ..and the game is on!

When Jack is returned safe without the kidnappers picking up their ransom money, Martin suspects something more devilish is in the works. Since he is the last person to see Jack, Martin becomes the prime suspect. Fortunately, he has help in the form of French Detective Tarconi who is conveniently on holiday visiting Martin.

Throughout the movie, some rather strange events take place where suspension of disbelief is in full force. Frank drives his car through a retaining wall of a parking garage, flies across the street and lands in a building under construction. His Audi doesn't even get a scratch. Frank flies his Audi through the air, scraping the bottom of his car against the hook of a construction crane to dislodge a bomb attached to the under carriage. A learjet crashes into the ocean at full speed and does not disintegrate upon impact.

As in the predecessor, it is Stathan's dead-pan humor and his stunt/fighting skills that make Transporter 2 enjoyable. Louis Leterrier's direction is nothing to brag about. The script is rather straight forward. None of the acting is particularly effective, with the exception of Amber Valletta, as Audrey Billings. Audrey is the estranged wife of the D.E.A. director who looks to Frank for comfort. Alessandro Gassman is not a very nasty bad guy. Kate Nauta looks good but is not much of a sadistic henchman. Nauta is seductive though.

If you are in the mood for mindless, summer-escapist fare, Tranporter 2 is worth a bargain matinee price. Just don't expect too much.

(Gratuitous photo added)