District B13 : Movie Review


It’s 2010 and the French have come up with a solution for dealing with their most feared criminals and undesirable citizens that live in the ghettos of Paris – build a bloody great wall around the whole of the city and post armed police on all the exits. No one gets in and no one gets out.

Taha (Larbi Naceri) runs the city. With the help of his top henchman K2 (Tony D’Amario) and his own personal army Taha controls everything. But when Leito (David Belle) has other ideas and starts dealing drugs Taha isn’t best pleased and cuts a deal with the cops that ends up with Leito locked up and his kid sister Lola (Dany Verissimo) kidknapped by Taha.

So Leito has to fight his way past an army of bad guys to rescue his sister. Fortunately he has the help of an undercover cop Damien (Cyril Raffaelli) who’s been sent in to disarm a rocket set to kill millions as Taha’s finger hovers over the button.

Written by Luc Besson and directed by Pierre Morel in the cold light of day District 13 will seem like pretty silly stuff - no more than a vehicle for its amazing stunts and a showcase for the skill and athleticism of its two leading men. But in the dark of the cinema just sit back and enjoy the sheer escapism of watching two guys hurl themselves out of windows, jump across rooftops and scamper up walls with ease as they escape from the bad guys and save the girl.

District 13 is chock-full of wickedly choreographed hyper-kinetic fight scenes and packed with ultra fast action and bone-crunching smack-downs. It might be strictly low-concept high-action but it’s completely absorbing, breathtakingly genuine and entertaining throughout.

4/5

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Author : Kevin Stanley