While action superstar characters like The Terminator and Rambo struggled to find their footing in the ‘90s, new action franchises found their place with a focus on martial arts and more grounded adventures. At the tail end of this era came Jason Statham and his hit Transporter franchise.
Debuting in 2002, The Transporter became an iconic role for Statham. The franchise itself is a beloved fan favorite, and while it certainly suffered diminishing returns, there’s an argument to be made that there is something for everyone in even its worst entries. You can see for yourself, though, with our guide on watching the Transporter movies and TV shows in order. Look to platforms like Prime Video and Starz to start your movie night right now.
The Transporter (2002)
Breaking onto the scene in 2002, The Transporter served as something of a breakout franchise for Jason Statham, at the time best known for his work in crime dramas like Snatch (2000) and Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998). For The Transporter, Statham gets to demonstrate his martial arts prowess as Frank Martin, a former SAS operative turned shrewd deliveryman. Breaking one of his three rules, Martin finds he has been roped into a human trafficking ring and sets out to put a stop to it before they can kill him.
The Transporter is a remarkable film filled with frenetic adventure. If you’re in the mood for a fairly mindless action flick with some great action and a charismatic cast, The Transporter is a great choice, especially for fans of similar bombastic franchises like John Wick and Taken.
Transporter 2 (2005)
The success of The Transporter led to an inevitable sequel, Transporter 2, which shook up the plot by moving Frank out of France and into sunny Florida, as well as temporarily removing him from his highly illegal Transporter jobs. For this outing, Frank is instead doing a favor for a friend and serving as a chauffeur for a kid, but he must spring back into action when the child is kidnapped. In rare form for a sequel, Transporter 2 retained a lot of the same audience.
What can really be said about The Transporter 2 that wasn’t said about the first movie? In truth, the movies are more identical than they are dissimilar, though the sequel does have some fun by putting Frank into the role of child carer versus the stoic badass he was in the original. The action is still top-notch, the puns will still make you roll your eyes, and Statham is still a surprisingly effective lead. These films aren’t high art, but they are entertaining fun in a very ‘90s action throwback kind of way that scratches a very specific itch for action movie buffs looking to turn their brains off for a bit and enjoy a fun movie.
Transporter 3 (2008)
By 2008, Jason Statham was a bonafide household name for action films, thanks to outings like Crank (2006) and Death Race (2008). He’d return to Frank Martin one more time for Transporter 3, but this is the one that saw the franchise start to shift into neutral. This time around, Martin is forced against his will to deliver a package to Budapest with a bomb strapped to his wrist and complete a job another Transporter failed to finish.
As the third in the trilogy, Transporter 3 unfortunately shows its age. Again, there’s not a lot to say here that isn’t just a repeat of the first two movies. Statham is as charismatic as ever, and he really knows how to carry an action scene. It’s a good thing, honestly, that this franchise wound down to let him move on to bigger and better franchises and action roles like The Beekeeper (2024) or The Meg (2018) rather than returning to drive his Frank Martin character into the ground (pun not intended).
Transporter: The Series (2012-2014)
It’s easy to forget the 2010s fascination with taking blockbuster film franchises and turning them into TV series, and seeing the middling reception to shows like Taken (2017) and Limitless (2015), you’d be surprised that studios kept trying. Setting the stage for both of those shows, however, was Transporter: The Series, a 2012 jaunt that ran for two seasons.
Transporter: The Series doesn’t share continuity with the films, instead following Frank Martin on a series of weekly adventures with no real overarching plot and a minimal cast of characters. It’s definitely a step down from the film franchise, and the episodic nature means it can be a drag when an episode doesn’t hook you. If you’re a die-hard fan of the films looking to scratch an itch, this is a great pick, but otherwise this winds up being a mediocre action series.
The Transporter Refueled (2015)
Come 2015 and the decision was made to reboot the Transporter franchise. Though attempts at a Transporter 4 were made, an agreement couldn’t be reached and Statham was out. Ed Skrein, perhaps best known for his work in Deadpool (2016) and Rebel Moon (2023), would take over the role of Frank Martin alongside the late, great Ray Stevenson as his father, Frank Martin Sr. The film sees Martin Sr. kidnapped and Martin Jr. tasked with driving around a trio of femme fatales.
The Transporter Refueled just doesn’t really work. Statham’s absence sticks out like a sore thumb, but what’s really damning is this reboot attempt to find its footing the same year he appeared in Furious 7 (2015). Completionists may want to check this out, but really you should just stick to the original trilogy.
