District 13 (2004)
District 13 (French title Banlieue 13 or B13), is a 2004 French action film directed by Pierre Morel and written and produced by Luc Besson. It depicts parkour in several stunt sequences completed without wires or computer-generated imagery. Because of this, some film critics drew comparisons to the Thai film Ong-Bak. David Belle plays Leïto, the story’s main character.
Plot.
In 2010, social problems have overrun the poorer suburbs of Paris. Especially Banlieue 13, commonly referred to as B13: a ghetto with a population of two million people. Unable to control B13, the authorities surround the entire area with a high wall topped by barbed tape, forcing the inhabitants within to survive without education, proper utilities or police protection. Police checkpoints stop anybody going in or out. Three years later, the district has become overrun with gangs. Leïto is a fighter of such gangs. He disposes of a case of drugs down a drain, then escapes the gang led by K2, an enforcer who has come to collect the drugs.RELATED:
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The gang’s leader, a ruthless man named Taha Ben Mahmoud is angered and executes three of K2’s men until K2 suggests they kidnap Leïto’s sister Lola in retaliation. Lola is captured by K2 at a supermarket. Leïto is able to rescue her and take Taha to the police station, but the police chief in charge betrays and arrests Leïto, saying they are leaving the district and are not willing to stand up to the gangs. Taha leaves with Lola. Despite the chief saying sorry, Leito is angered by the excuses and kills the chief out of frustration by breaking his neck.
Six months later, undercover policeman
Damien Tomaso completes a successful operation at an underground casino in Paris, single handedly taking down or gunning down the casino’s guards and arresting the pit boss. His next assignment is briefed by Kruger, a government official. Taha’s gang has taken a bomb from a nuclear transport vehicle and accidentally activated it, giving it 24 hours before it wipes out the district. Posing as a prisoner, Damien infiltrates the district to disarm the bomb. Leïto immediately sees through Damien’s cover, but the two reluctantly team up to save Leïto’s sister as well. The pair surrenders to Taha in order to gain access to his base, where they find the bomb has been set up on
a missile launcher aimed at Paris, with Lola handcuffed to it. Taha demands a high ransom to deactivate the bomb; the government refuses. After Damien gives them Taha’s bank account codes, they drain his funds. Leïto and Damien escape. K2 and his men soon realize that with Taha unable to pay them, they are free from his grasp. Taha attempts to command K2 as a last resort, but K2, fed up with Taha’s brutality, turns his back on his former boss and allows his men to gun down Taha. K2 takes over the gang and goes to find Leito and Damien.
Reception.
District 13 received mostly positive reviews outside France. On Rotten Tomatoes it has a rating of 80% based on 116 reviews. The website’s critical consensus reads, “A nonstop thrill ride, District B13’s dizzying action sequences more than make up for any expository flaws.” On Metacritic, it has a weighted average score of 70 out of 100 based on reviews from 28 critics, indicating “generally favorable reviews”. In France, reviews were slightly less positive. The main issues discussed by the French critics[who?] were the similarity with both Escape from New York and Ong Bak, and the shallowness of the plot. Lisa Nesselson of Variety notes the comparison, but says although the narrative is derivative it “rarely feels that way thanks to bullet pacing, nifty choreography and a few well-placed rejoinders” and also called it “fast, dumb fun”.RELATED:
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Nathan Lee of The New York Times that the director “hasn’t reinvented this particular wheel, but he gets it spinning with delirious savoir-faire.”
Several other critics also praised the film’s action scenes and stunt work. Frank Scheck of The Hollywood Reporter wrote: “By most standards, District B13 is a fairly routine summer action movie, albeit one in French. But what makes it unique are the truly amazing and kinetic action scenes featuring Parkour pioneer Belle and co-star Cyril Raffaelli.” Wesley Morris of The Boston Globe remarked, “Like its stunt work, the movie is both ridiculously hyperactive and a muscular feat of absolute confidence. I don’t expect to have a more adrenalizing time at the movies this summer.”