B13 - 13º Distrito

People people people...anyone expecting Citizen Kane out of this movie needs to have their head examined. BUT...if you were looking for a thrilling, fast paced roller-coaster, that's what you will find.

For the past year, I have been seeking out alternatives to American cinema because it has become so formulaic and awful. I troll IMDb and eBay to see what else is happening in the world. Sure, B13 is derivative, but it is certainly more exciting than another "re-imagining" of a 70s cop show.

The opening sequence took my breath away. I was half-way through the film before I felt it was sage to dart to the kitchen for a drink. I said to my wife "THIS is the movie I've been searching for." Even the subtitles were good. The verbiage and spelling were very authentic and slang-conversational. It did not feel forced as many foreign films do. It was definitely subbed with the British market in mind, as some of the banter evoked thoughts of Lock, Stock or Layer Cake or Football Factory.

If I want a truly compelling story, I'll look elsewhere, but check out B13 for the some great fight scenes, excellent scenery and mind-blowing athleticism.

The place : France.

The time : after 2010.

The plot : The French government has erected giant walls around the poorest and most dangerous neighborhoods. Inside these walls its a veritable jungle, with the strongest (and ofter most corrupt) ruling.

This is the directorial debut of Pierre Morel. He has worked as the cinematographer on Danny the Dog (a.k.a. Unleashed) and the Transporter. If this movie gives you a sense of deja vu, don't worry just flow with it.

The movie follows the recent Ong Bak trend of action movies in that there is very little plot or a somewhat lacking storyline but is compensated for by bone crunching and realistic action/athletic sequences, albeit in this case with a French flavor.

After the opening "fly through" of the barrio we get a glimpse at one of the protagonists, Leito (David Belle). Leito is a neighborhood kid who does a good impersonation of Daredevil (minus the blindness, white stick or red outfit). While surround by crime, Leito manages to keep honest and actually fights back against the neighborhood drug lord, Taha.

This is the first 20 minutes of the movie, and it was simply awesome. David Belle is co-founder of a sport called Parkour. It is some Euro-Asian fusion of martial arts and running. There was a Nike commercial (?? - it was definitely a sneaker ad) where this man kept jumping off of random things. The whole point was he didn't stop, no matter what was in his way. It seems to be some improvisational running, where you figure out ways to get around things. This opening sequence involves a lot of running at full speed and some fighting inside, outside and on top of an apartment building. The pace for the sequence is fast and awe-inspiring.

We are then transported 6 months into the future, where we are introduced to our second protagonist, Damien (Cyril Raffaelli). Damien is the decorated, "straight as an arrow" cop. He follows order and does whatever is necessary (within the law) to get the job done. Damien's 20 minute introduction takes place in an illegal casino. This is the actual sequence that reminds me the most of Ong Bak (the mêlée combat). It has a similar style (of course without Tony Jaa's proficiency), complete with the bone-wrenching "oomphs". Cyril may seem familiar to fans of the action genre. He has been in numerous actions flicks as well, staring in Kiss of the Dragon and as a stunt man in the Transporter and Brotherhood of the Wolf.

The first two sections of the movie contain the character development, while the last section handles the plot. A new type of bomb has been stolen. It has a 24 hour detonation timer on it that is activated once the case is opened. Damien is sent in to defuse it (namely to enter a code that defuses the already active bomb). The bomb is somewhere in B13 and Leito is "volunteered" to be his guide.

The movie was definitely enjoyable, yet lacking much of a story or a finale. I was reminded of Ong Bak and especially of the Transporter. These movies (along with B13) seem to have a rather simplistic finale. The world is a generally good place where a few bad apples take advantage of the good. Most of the time, the good simply do not know the "bad people" exist. They just need someone to tell them and then collectively the good "do the right thing" (which is always done through lawful and sometimes legislative means). There are other movies (like most of Jackie Chan's movies) that have similar endings. This is not so much a criticism as an observation.

There were some scenes that made me go "huh".

Why does everyone have their names on the doors ? I'm sure each of the characters probably also have their names sewn into their boxers. I did enjoy Taha's Tony Montana impression. It was quite a funny scene. Lastly, I would have liked a more extended fight scene with Yeti, but otherwise, was a good sequence. Outside of the action sequences, there were some instances of gun-play. This was definitely not John Woo, but I was reminded of the Professional (Besson does have writing credits).

I thoroughly enjoyed this fast paced action, buddy movie (reminded me of 48 Hours or Rush Hour - except without the comical cop/con routine). I highly recommend this movie for action fans.

-Celluloid Rehab

This film takes everything that has been learned in the last 100 years about how to make an action movie and distills it into a perfect 85 minutes.

The stars are true athletes, including David Belle, the co-founder of the sport of Parkour. He has spent 18 years perfecting his skills, which means that most of the spectacular stunts are real, not done with special effects.

The plot is action-movie perfect as well: A criminal kingpin, a damsel in distress, an honest cop, a noble criminal, corrupt officials, double crosses, nearly superhuman enemies. And at stake: honor, truth and the lives of millions.

There are hardly any extraneous elements, few scenes that don't make sense, no characters that do something really stupid when they should have known better. Every loose end is wrapped up in a very satisfying way. And there's even meaningful social commentary. All (though I said it before) in 85 minutes.

Why do other action movies drag on for two or even three hours and have long slow spots? Why do other action movies have plot holes big enough to walk through? Why do some of them lack drama, get silly and end up feeling like a waste of time? Why can't they all be as taut and tightly written as this one?

Because it's hard. It's hard to reach this level of perfection. It's hard to make a movie in which every scene counts. It's hard to get the plot, the acting, the action and the emotions right.

It's so hard it took 100 years. But here it is. Don't miss it.

What is there to like about this movie? Well, the plot is pretty good, even though I'd have much more trouble suspending my disbelief if it would not have been French. In the wake of all the ruckus in France, this movie feels pretty realistic as a social commentary.

The stunts(Parkour) are amazing. Smooth, fluid motion and crisp, no-bullshit camera-work makes it a real treat to the eye. The fighting scenes are cool too, and they at least partially real(for unreal, watch Hard Target or any other Van Damme movie. For real, watch Heat) and not as repetitive and drawn-out as the usual ones.

The whole ghetto atmosphere works really well. Concrete and poverty works fine as scenery. Dialouge seemed good too from what I got from the subtitles.

What's there to dislike? Well, character development is the same-old. Two different guys team up and saves the day, overcome their differences and live happily ever after. It has been done before, but at least it's done well here.

The music is consistent and fitting, so that's more of a matter of taste.

Otherwise, the movie is pretty much solid. Minor flaws, but on the whole a treat from the moment it starts to the end. Not something you add to the DVD collection, maybe, but certainly worthwhile. -7/10

Rarely do I say this, but "District B13" is well worth seeing even if its plot isn't especially memorable or even very good. This is because the stunt-work is so amazing and insane that I STILL recommend you see it.

When the film begins, you learn that in the future, cities are often walled up and the scum inside are allowed to flourish--sort of like in "Escape From New York". Then you'll see the best part of the film-- one where a drug lord's men chase a guy who's stolen their stash. It's just hard to describe but the stunts seem almost super- human! There's more of this scattered throughout the film and later this guy is teamed up with a cop who's infiltrated District B13 to try to locate a bomb. But don't worry...it's all just an excuse for some crazy action scenes!

The most amazing thing about this film is that I SHOULD have hated it. I am NOT an action film fan and much prefer films with great characters and interesting plots (not to be found here)...but it's done so well I just didn't mind. It's a turn off your brain and enjoy sort of movie.