As part of a series that started out giving the action genre a good kick in the pants, it's disappointing to see Transporter 3 fall victim to many of its trappings. Here we have a style partway between Bond and Bourne, blending the far-fetched action sequences of the former with the hardened edge of the latter. It's a combination that fueled two delightfully loopy but perfectly entertaining films, though the burgeoning franchise seems to have run out of gas this third time around. Still, Transporter 3 is not a worthless flick, but it's definitely not the shot to the cerebellum I hoped it would be.

Jason Statham reprises his signature role as Frank Martin, a tough guy for hire who delivers cargo for morally ambiguous types with no questions asked. This time, a job he passed onto a colleague is about to bite back in a big way, as Frank's pal literally crashes his pad in the middle of the night. The next day, Frank awakens to find himself roped into his latest assignment, accompanying a Ukranian beauty (Natalya Rudakova) on a road trip across Europe. But there's a deadly catch involved, as professional sleazebag Johnson (Robert Knepper) has saddled our hero with a wristwatch designed to explode should he pass 75 feet from his beloved car. Needless to say, Frank can't say no, though the gig comes with its fair share of complications. Not only are Johnson's agents hell-bent on ensuring the job gets done, but Frank starts to fall in love with his "package," giving him something to fight for other than a payday.

After seeing Transporter 3, I can see why so many James Bond fans were disappointed by his latest outing, Quantum of Solace. After getting two films that shot for the moon with their action sequences and stunt choreography, it's a letdown to see such a routine sequel. It's still an entertaining film, but compared with its predecessors, Transporter 3 feels like it's on autopilot, thrown together in a mad dash after Transporter 2 proved to be a sleeper hit. It boasts all the basic ingredients fans have come to expect, from Frank's policeman chum (Francois Berleand) to his trademarked black-and-white suit, and while incoming director Olivier Megaton (best last name ever) checks off all the items on the Transporter shopping list, he fails to bring anything refreshing of his own to the table. 

Still, Transporter 3 retains enough of a cool edge to get by relatively unscathed. Though Frank doesn't do much beyond battle the same group of thugs for the umpteenth time, there are moments when Megaton gets gleefully silly with the action. One rousing scene shows Frank racing to get back to his car before his watch detonates, and the climactic sequence sees him driving his trusty auto onto a moving train. It pales in comparison to the oil slick brawls and firehose fights we're used to, but viewers expererience a nice, quick adrenaline fix. In any case, Statham's performance keeps the atmosphere cool. I can't say the same for Rudakova, whose flat and mildly annoying turn ends up detracting from her eye candy status. As for Knepper, his passable role as the villain is pretty simple: sneer at the camera, make a little speech or two, and get a painful comeuppance before the final credits roll.

Transporter 3 is the weakest of its trilogy. And it's not even the best Jason Statham movie of the year (an honor currently held by The Bank Job). But if slogging through Four Christmases or enduring Australia aren't on your plate this Thanksgiving season, then Transporter 3 seems ready and willing to show you the brainless good time you're looking for.

MY RATING: ** 1/2 (out of ****)

(Released by Lionsgate and rated "PG-13" for some sequences of intense action and violence, some sexual content and drug material.)