This series gives us more adventures featuring transporter Frank Martin; here played by Chris Vance rather than Jason Statham. Early on the stories are similar to the films as Frank transports people or items while various bad guys try to stop him. Later on transporting becomes almost secondary as he gets involved in various other capers.
When I heard that Frank was going to be played by somebody other than Jason Statham I wasn't too optimistic but I was soon won over by Chris Vance; thankfully he plays the character in a very different manner so doesn't feel like a poor imitation. François Berléand is the only actor from the films to feature; he is a lot of fun as Inspector Tarconi. The rest of the main cast does a solid job; notably Charly Hübner who provides plenty of laughs as mechanic Dieter Hausmann, Andrea Osvárt who plays Frank's booking agent Carla Valeri in the first season and Violante Placido who plays her replacement Caterina "Cat" Boldieu in the second series. The stories are enjoyable although the first season is better; this is partly down to the fact that there is an ongoing storyline involving a security agent investigating Frank and partly because it was clear later on that the budget wasn't what it was; the number of scenes involving car chases drops dramatically and many of those that do remain aren't as exciting. As well as the action in cars there is plenty of fighting, shooting as well as some impressive stunts. There is also some swearing and occasional nudity which may bother some viewers. Still overall it was an enjoyable series and I was disappointed when I learnt that it is unlikely that a third season will ever be made; especially given the cliff-hanger ending to the second season.
When I heard that Frank was going to be played by somebody other than Jason Statham I wasn't too optimistic but I was soon won over by Chris Vance; thankfully he plays the character in a very different manner so doesn't feel like a poor imitation. François Berléand is the only actor from the films to feature; he is a lot of fun as Inspector Tarconi. The rest of the main cast does a solid job; notably Charly Hübner who provides plenty of laughs as mechanic Dieter Hausmann, Andrea Osvárt who plays Frank's booking agent Carla Valeri in the first season and Violante Placido who plays her replacement Caterina "Cat" Boldieu in the second series. The stories are enjoyable although the first season is better; this is partly down to the fact that there is an ongoing storyline involving a security agent investigating Frank and partly because it was clear later on that the budget wasn't what it was; the number of scenes involving car chases drops dramatically and many of those that do remain aren't as exciting. As well as the action in cars there is plenty of fighting, shooting as well as some impressive stunts. There is also some swearing and occasional nudity which may bother some viewers. Still overall it was an enjoyable series and I was disappointed when I learnt that it is unlikely that a third season will ever be made; especially given the cliff-hanger ending to the second season.