District 13
By Mal Simons, Blockbuster.co.uk

Written and produced by French filmmaking legend Luc Busson and directed by the man behind the Transporter movies; District 13 is an action packed adventure with amazing stunts bound to leave you breathless.

In the Paris of the future, unruly parts of the city where gang elements have taken control have been sectioned off and the people in these areas have been abandoned by the government. The film opens and we are introduced to the worst of these slums – District 13, when a do-gooder citizen Leito (David Belle), steals drugs that were to be sold on the streets from the District’s kingpin Taha (Bibi Naceri), and proceeds to destroy them; Taha’s men launch an attack on Leito’s building.

After killing Leito’s men, the mobsters break into Leito’s room but he hears them coming, and escapes using a series of remarkable stunts in and out of buildings and across rooftops until he finds himself at Taha’s building. Managing to take the kingpin prisoner, Leito takes the man to the local police station but the corrupt cops, afraid of being attacked by Taha’s men, free the kingpin and hand Leito’s sister over to be abused by Taha. Leito kills a police officer in revenge and is locked away in Prison, outside of the District. The station is locked up as the French Government pulls out and Taha’s sister is condemned to a life of drugs and prostitution.

When a neutron bomb goes missing in District 13 and a countdown begins; the French Government calls in their top super-cop Damien (Cyril Raffaelli) to get it back. Needing a guide through the lawless district, Damien frees Leito from prison and the two of them make a deal to stop the bomb and save Leito’s sister from Taha. The two of them must fight through the district to recover the bomb before the countdown begins.

Fast moving and imaginative, District 13 stands out as a great movie; Inspired by the success of Ong Bak, there are no stunt men and no wires, David Belle and Cyril Raffaelli are absolutely amazing as they perform all of the stunts themselves and leap from building to building and do things that normal people can only dream of doing. The stunts are real, the dangers are real and this puts District 13 head and shoulders above the rest. Add this to your list now.