Review of District B13 (2004) by Devin R — 26 Jul 2009

DISTRICT B13 borrows much of it's premise from John Carpenter's ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK, but even though the story certainly isn't original, it's the approach to the kinetic action that is a bit unique.

Instead of hiring real actors, why not just put the stuntmen in the leads? And you know what? It actually kind of works. Although the characters are largely tired stereotypes from many other action flicks, it's the rapid-intense and freerunning action of DISTRICT B13 that helps set it slightly apart, and even may have helped inspired the opening chase in CASINO ROYALE, but that's just my speculation.

Co-written and produced by Luc Besson, and directed by Pierre Morel (TAKEN), this jet-fast and straight forward thriller involves a walled-off ghetto on the outskirts of Paris in 2010 and a new-age neutron bomb (that apparently doesn't add pollution, how nice of the French) set to explode.

A lone, tough-as-nails undercover cop partners up with a local of the war-torn District and together they are sent into defuse the situation. It's very typical stuff, but it's not the dialogue or acting that left me slightly disappointed; it's just how thin the script actually is during it's 80 minute running time (heh, pun not intended).

There's some fun and truly exciting action pieces here, but that's all the movie has going for it, just be prepared for that going in. What it does it does fairly well, I just wished it had actually done even more.