District 13 - Ultimatum

“District 13” was a little film that probably took everyone by surprise, even though the behind the screen team was pretty famous – writer and producer Luc Besson and director Pierre Morel. I, for example, never heard of it until I randomly stumbled on the title while reading something about parkour. Parkour is the art of getting from point A to point B in the shortest and fastest way possible utilizing only the strength of your own body. David Belle, the lead actor who plays Leito, was its originator.

Three years later after deactivating the bomb that could’ve reduced District 13 to rubble, nothing much has changed for the people living there. The government still doesn’t give a fuck about them, until two policemen were murdered inside the District. This incident was a cue for yet another try to erase it from the face of the Earth, while our two protagonists – Leito & Damien – reunite in an attempt to once again save the day.

The intro was really promising, in which the camera takes us through a quick tour around District 13, so we get to know the lay of the land. Very stylish. But after that the excitement goes down, and stays down for the rest of the film’s duration. Both sequels had really simplistic plots, and frankly, it would’ve been just another action flick if it weren’t for the awesome parkour sequences. Naturally, you expect more from a sequel, but that’s not the case with “D13 - U” (original title: Banlieue 13 - Ultimatum", abbreviated "B13 - U")

Those who wanted more action in general, got it. Those who wanted more great parkour acrobatics will be severely disappointed, myself included. Aside from the really cool first fight involving Damien some mobsters, the action in its quality is very bleak, and needless to say – doesn’t make up for the lack of quality parkour scenes.

Another thing I’ve noticed is the lack of chemistry between the main heroes, which wasn’t the case in the first installment. There, Leito & Damien were very tight as a team, making a really fantastic duo that relied on each other’s abilities and covered each other’s weaknesses. Now, the spark between them (no homo) just isn’t there anymore, and they are reduced to random generic action heroes. And the other characters weren’t given enough screen time to get to know them, and some really had potential, especially the badass Tao (Elodie Yung). Oh, and what the fuck happened to Lola, Leito's sister?

In conclusion: if you’re just looking for a decent action flick, go for it, but if you’re hoping for a good sequel to the original... better luck next time.

Rating: 6/10

- review by Ventilation Shaft