DISTRICT B13: ULTIMATUM (2009)

Directed By: Patrick Allessandrin 
Written By: Luc Besson 
Cinematography By: Jean-Francois Hensgens 
Editor: Julien Rey 

 Cast: David Belle, Cyril Raffaelli, Philippe Torreton, Elodie Yung, Daniel Duval

After a successful mission against drug lords, the efficient Captain Damien Tomaso is framed at home with three kilograms of heroin planted by the police in his kitchen and he is arrested. Meanwhile a group of teenagers film the action of dirty agents led by Roland from the security agency executing policemen in their car and then leaving the car with the corpses in the 13th District to blame the gangs and begin a civil war. Behind these events, the corrupt chief of the security agency Walter Gassman had received a huge amount as kickback from the constructor Harriburton that has interest to construct buildings in the poor area and uses the situation to force the President of France to authorize to nuke five towers in the district. The teenager with the film is hunted by the police but he delivers the memory card to Leito meanwhile Damien calls him from the precinct asking for help. The friends team-up with five dangerous bosses to gather evidences to prove to the president that Gassman has provoked the conflict in their district.

An inferior sequel with fun action scenes, but not necessarily exciting ones.

The film has the same two main stars, but a different director. Which shows while the original was fun. (The original remade for American audiences as BRICK MANISONS the last starring role of Paul Walker and co-starring David Belle the lead of these movies) it also had a thorough story-line plot. It wasn't revolutionary, but I kept your interests up.

Here the plot is more of an conspiracy that is introduced 30 minutes into the film. The first 30 minutes used to remind you how skilled and bad-ass the lead characters are.

The movie moves quick, but still feels like it is flopping around trying to make itself longer. It hypes up the action, but here feels like it is stuck on repeat and empty this time.

I would have enjoyed to see how the gang leaders gangs worked. They were all interesting, but treated more like a afterthought. The villains aren't that interesting which usually hurts an action film, because the audience will lose half of the interest because the point of the film is to see who you are facing and can you overcome them.

As well as starring in the film, Cyril Rafaelli also choreographed all the fight sequences.

David Belle didn't practice all his parkour stunts. Most of the ones that you see in the film were of him performing the stunt for the first time.

If the villain is weak then so is the film usually the villains can not only be more interesting then the hero (lack of morals let's them be outrageous. So they don't have to stay in guidelines that the hero is chained to) the direction also is not as vivid as the first films especially the action sequences though are also less parkour scenes. It seems like only two here, where as the first film seemed made around the skill that was so popular. It found it's way into CASINO ROYALE and LIVE FREE OR DIE HARD.

I was also disappointed actress Dany Verrisimo was not in this film. She played Leito’s sister in the first film. She is talented as she is beautiful and no mention is even made of her character. At least Elodie Yung provides eye candy as the exotic Asian gang leader.

The sort this time revolves around the secret service killing cops and making it look like the gangs did it so the president will blow up the neighborhood because of it's dangerousness and locking up Damien Who would have been in charge of the investigation. His friend Leito busts him out because he has evidence that this is a conspiracy And needs him to help him show the people and the president.

It's a fun rental and I think it is more enjoyable only of you have not seen the original, but if you have this might be a letdown

 Grade: C