District 13 And District 13 Ultimatum

I am huge fan of director/producer Luc Besson (Fifth Element). I feel that he has put out some of the greatest European action films, especially the District 13 series of films.

If you are unaware, District 13 is a ghetto outside of PARIS where all manner or the poor, immigrant and disenfranchised are thrown together behind a walled fence. What happens inside is crime and more crime - the black market rules all.

However when a crisis threatened not only District 13 but Paris itself, then there is only one person for the job - supercop and his sorta partner Damiean . Both are masters of Parkour, the gymnastic style of acrobatics that allows one so trained to fly over the rooftops of the city and around any obstacle they choose. All while running at high speed. Everything here is choreographed to the nines but that doesn't take away from the excitement of the many chase scenes. It's very much in line with the stuff that Jackie Chan has been doing for decades only this style is much faster in it's editing and delivery and just as much fun to watch.

The movie zips along at an almost too frenetic pace but it's super exciting to watch. Especially the beautifuly elegant fight scenes.

I preferred to watch these in French with the subtitles the first time around because then you really get the full European perspective. Fresh actors that you have never seen before but who can deliver the athletic goods turn this one into something unique. I felt totally immersed in this seedy world of terrorists, nihilists, troublemakers, warlords and crazy assassins.

This one pays it's respects to the Hong Kong films of John Woo in many deliberate ways and that is a good things. Luc Besson has learned his lessons well and these District 13 films are as lean and taught as the best cops and robbers films from the East.

A cop who cares as much about rare art as he does kicking ass is someone you want to watch. Like Jackie Chan, only fighting with a rare Van Gogh. It's a sweet piece of business.

There are two films in the series but I find I can watch them in either order and it doesn't hurt my enjoyment of the stories.