A French producer had the bright idea of combining the extreme sport of Parkour – actually invented by one of this film's stars, David Belle – with a hard-hitting action movie along the lines of ONG BAK, and the culmination of these ideas is DISTRICT 13 – possibly the greatest French action film ever made, and one that certainly urinates freely all over the like of TAXI and other so-called classics. DISTRICT 13 is a simple film – as with much French cinema, it's all about style rather than substance, and there isn't a great deal of back story to worry about – and that's what makes it so great: it offers a ton of action, fulfils the promise, and that's it. No more, no less. A scant 80 minute movie packed with lots of Guy Ritchie-style bad guys, lots of chases and running about, and interspersed with action.
When you actually sit down and watch the movie, there isn't actually a great deal of big action scenes. One each to introduce the two heroes, then about two to three once the story moves along. But it doesn't matter, because the plot is so fast-paced you'll never get bored. In regards to the acting stakes, David Belle doesn't, but I'm pleased to say that Cyril Raffaelli (familiar as the blond twin from KISS OF THE DRAGON) is effective and fits the 'action hero' role like a glove. The assorted goons and low-lives that flesh out the cast are comic-book cut-outs and the dialogue is suitably lowly, but that matters not. It's the action where this film hits hardest and most effectively.
The film kicks off with actually the best scene of all (not always a great idea, as it sets a high which the rest of the movie cannot quite reach). David Belle practises Parkour against a bunch of thugs, and the result is breathtaking; tight editing, pounding music, and a ton of stunts that computers just can't emulate. Belle runs up walls, jumps off roofs, performs incredible feats of agility, and, in my favourite bit, jumps through a tiny window above a door all in one fluid motion. He literally doesn't stop moving for even one second and the result is a five minute sequence that's up there in the 'ten best action scenes' of all time ranking. After this, the other action scenes involve crisp shoot-outs (with John Woo style slow-mo and slick spin-in-the-air moves), speeding cars out of control, and lots and lots of machine guns. One stand-out is a comic fight as the two heroes team up to take on the Yeti, an impossible mountain of a man who resists breeze blocks smashing across his body and reminds me of WARRIOR KING's Nathan Jones. The final one-on-one between Raffaelli and Belle is also notable for being an intense and surprisingly violent fight scene as the two duke it out while a bomb ticks down nearby. DISTRICT 13 is certainly a watchable, efficient and highly entertaining movie, and I hope to see other films come along that follow suit.
When you actually sit down and watch the movie, there isn't actually a great deal of big action scenes. One each to introduce the two heroes, then about two to three once the story moves along. But it doesn't matter, because the plot is so fast-paced you'll never get bored. In regards to the acting stakes, David Belle doesn't, but I'm pleased to say that Cyril Raffaelli (familiar as the blond twin from KISS OF THE DRAGON) is effective and fits the 'action hero' role like a glove. The assorted goons and low-lives that flesh out the cast are comic-book cut-outs and the dialogue is suitably lowly, but that matters not. It's the action where this film hits hardest and most effectively.
The film kicks off with actually the best scene of all (not always a great idea, as it sets a high which the rest of the movie cannot quite reach). David Belle practises Parkour against a bunch of thugs, and the result is breathtaking; tight editing, pounding music, and a ton of stunts that computers just can't emulate. Belle runs up walls, jumps off roofs, performs incredible feats of agility, and, in my favourite bit, jumps through a tiny window above a door all in one fluid motion. He literally doesn't stop moving for even one second and the result is a five minute sequence that's up there in the 'ten best action scenes' of all time ranking. After this, the other action scenes involve crisp shoot-outs (with John Woo style slow-mo and slick spin-in-the-air moves), speeding cars out of control, and lots and lots of machine guns. One stand-out is a comic fight as the two heroes team up to take on the Yeti, an impossible mountain of a man who resists breeze blocks smashing across his body and reminds me of WARRIOR KING's Nathan Jones. The final one-on-one between Raffaelli and Belle is also notable for being an intense and surprisingly violent fight scene as the two duke it out while a bomb ticks down nearby. DISTRICT 13 is certainly a watchable, efficient and highly entertaining movie, and I hope to see other films come along that follow suit.