When it comes to action stars, Jason Statham has quite the resume, but there’s one standout scene that still reigns supreme in his career. That scene can be found in the 2002 film, The Transporter, where Statham engages in an awe-inspiring eight-minute martial arts fight.
The bus fight sequence within the film is especially noteworthy, as it highlights Statham’s ability to adapt to different environmental circumstances with inventive choreography. Throughout The Transporter, Statham’s natural talent for Hong Kong-style action movies shines through, complete with John Woo-style gun-fu and clear influences that make it his ultimate achievement as an action hero.
Jason Statham has enjoyed a lengthy and thrilling career as an action movie star, but his most impressive action scene can still be found in his 2002 film, The Transporter. Statham first gained attention in Guy Ritchie’s 1998 gangster movie, Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, before achieving more fame opposite Jet Li in the 2001 sci-fi action movie, The One. It was in The Transporter where Statham truly became an action hero, reprising his role as the film’s antihero, Frank Martin, in its two sequels, Transporter 2 and Transporter 3.
Statham has since become one of the most recognizable faces, and voices, of modern action movies thanks to his distinctive cockney accent. In addition to The Transporter films, Jason Statham’s action movie franchises also include Crank, The Meg, Fast & Furious, and The Expendables. While Statham’s stunts, one-liners, and fight scenes throughout his action movie career have been consistently strong, The Transporter’s eight-minute martial arts fight still stands out as his most electrifying bare-knuckle brawl.
It’s worth noting that The Transporter’s bus fight scene is actually three fight scenes intertwined, making it even more impressive.
When Jason Statham’s character, Frank Martin, tries to put a stop to Mr. Kwai’s human trafficking operation, he finds himself in a fast-paced martial arts showdown with several henchmen. What’s even better is that “The Transporter” offers three fight scenes for the price of one.
The first takes place in a corridor between shipping containers, with Frank escaping onto the roof of a bus returning to a nearby station where the fight scene resumes. Following some quick combat between buses, including flashy kicks by Cyril Raffaelli, Frank fights his way through another wave of henchmen inside a bus, before standing his ground against enemies in the middle of an oil spill at the bus station. “The Transporter” manages to pack a huge amount of action into its centerpiece fight scene, showcasing why it works so well. The bus fight scene is very creative with its scenario and environment.
In all three portions of The Transporter’s major martial arts battle, Frank engages in combat with almost a dozen opponents at once. However, the most impressive aspect of the fight scene is how Frank is challenged in different ways. Each phase of the fight requires him to adapt his fighting skills to a unique set of environmental circumstances. The first two sections take place in confined spaces such as containers and buses, allowing the action director to be creative with choreography. In contrast, the third part takes place on an open area of the bus station covered in oil, requiring Frank to adjust again by strapping bicycle pedals to his feet to maintain balance while leveraging his kicking skills.
Every level of The Transporter’s fight sequence showcases inventive choreography reminiscent of Jackie Chan films, demonstrating why this action scene remains Jason Statham’s best. Ultimately, The Transporter highlights that Statham has a natural talent for performing in Hong Kong-style action movies.
The Transporter, co-directed by Louis Letterier and Corey Yuen, is a French-produced action movie filmed predominantly in English that bears resemblance to Hong Kong cinema. Jason Statham’s talent for gun-fu, reminiscent of John Woo-style action, is evident in the movie’s fight scenes at the trafficker’s headquarters. Furthermore, The Transporter was the first film to showcase Statham’s martial arts skills. When combined with the chase sequences that bookend the film, it becomes apparent that The Transporter is as distinctly Hong Kong-inspired as any Western action movie can get. It also demonstrates how perfect Statham is for action films with that style.
The Transporter movies are essentially the only time Statham has headlined any action films influenced by Hong Kong except for his appearances alongside Jet Li in both The One and War. Although Statham has thrived in the Crank, Fast & Furious, and Expendables films, The Transporter franchise holds a special place in Statham’s career due to its clear Hong Kong influences. Over two decades since its release, the complex settings and fight choreography of The Transporter’s container and bus station fights remain as a monument to Hong Kong action in an English-language film, solidifying it as Statham’s crowning achievement as an action hero.