2008 Woodie Awards
Looking for some French action?
Christopher Tomera
Issue date: 9/20/06 Section: Entertainment
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Grade: B+
Do yourself a favor. Skip The Black Dahlia and head over to your local video store, go to the new releases and pick up District B13. Judging from my difficulty in getting a copy, many of you have already done this. District B13 takes place in the not too distant future-2010 to be exact. Just like the movie Demolition Man, it's amazing to see how far downhill the filmmakers expect the world to go in just a few years. If you take futuristic movies as fact, I would start planning for the apocalypse a little earlier than you expected. From movies like Aeon Flux, Ultraviolet, Equilibrium, and V for Vendetta, it's very clear that in the future the government is not your friend, and concepts like civil liberties would probably elicit a sinister laugh from your local politicians or dictators. The world of District B13 is no different.
Crime is out of control in the futuristic barrios of France. Instead of dealing with this problem through social programs like welfare or an increased police force, the Parisian government decides, what the hell, let's just create a big wall around this place ala Escape from New York and let them fend for themselves. District B13 is not the place you want to live, unless you enjoy dodging bullets from French criminals who drive cars straight off the set of 2 Fast 2 Furious. Enter the hero of the story, Leito. Leito is, well, it's not clear what his day job is other than trying to clean up his barrio and performing some amazing feats of Parkour. If you're unfamiliar with Parkour, search for the term in Youtube.com. You'll see what happens when people become part super bouncing ball and part flying squirrel. Leito's outstanding feats of bouncing off walls and buildings while avoiding his pursuers is the centerpiece of some of the best action set pieces of the movie.
Leito is on a crusade to rid his town from the local drug dealer Taha and his colorful band of henchmen led by K2. Leito takes it one step too far when he destroys a large shipment of Taha's drugs and Taha in turn kidnaps Leito's sister Lola. Lola is quite a firecracker and it's a shame she spends most of the movie coked out or strung up on a dog leash. Women have become a cliché in action films. They're either a total kick-butt, ask questions later terminatrix or they're a helpless damsel. I think writers can get more creative out there and find a happy medium. That being said, District B13 is a pedal-to-the-metal action film and you should look elsewhere if you're expecting some Shakespearian character development.