The French answer to Ong Bak coulda been the final word, with superior production values and a serviceable if not exactly profound story-line (how much story can you get in an 80 minute film that's 50% action though?). Unfortunately it's let down by "Hollywood style" over-editing of the action scenes. David Belle & Cyril Raffaelli have *real* skills, and showing them off is the raison de etre of the film - so why chop most of the best moves into 3 separate shots, so we can't really appreciate them? It's a tribute to the performers and Raffaelli's choreography that they're still amazing to watch! I'd love to see a re-edit that simply removes the unnecessary insert shots and shows the moves in their full glory. Despite this objection, I still rate the film 8/10 :)

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.

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.