THE TRANSPORTER 5

The Transporter (French: *Le Transporteur*) is a 2002 English-language action thriller film directed by Cory Yuen, from a screenplay by Luc Besson and Robert Mark Kamen. It is the first installment in the *Transporter* film series, starring Jason Statham as Frank Martin, alongside Shu Qi, François Berléand, Matt Schulze, and Ric Young.

The film revolves around Frank, a British driver living in France who accidentally becomes involved in a human trafficking plot. *The Transporter* is inspired by the short film series *The Hire*.

The film premiered at the Regency Village Theatre in Los Angeles on October 2, 2002, and was released in the United States on October 11 under 20th Century Fox, then in France on October 23 under EuropaCorp. Despite receiving mixed reviews, the film was praised for its action scenes but criticized for its plot. The film grossed $43.9 million worldwide and was followed by Transporter 2 (2005).