Review of District 13

Introduction

So it seems Luc Besson is retiring from filmmaking to devote his life to charitable projects aimed at rejuvenating the prospects of inner-city kids. Bless him, but you`ve got to wonder how much his flair behind the lens is going to be missed when he hasn`t drummed up a corker since `The Fifth Element` in 1997. Seeing as he likes to concentrate more-so as a producer nowadays, you`ve got to reckon it`s fans of the popcorn fluff he tags with a producer credit that are going to be hit hardest if he goes the whole hog and gives up on film altogether. You know, the kind of movie that seems to be the only `other` way to get many teenage boys excited. Stuff like `The Transporter`, a film that single-handedly turned Kit-Kat chomping cock-er-ney Jason Statham from Mr Kelly Brook to kinda-decent action man. Or `Taxi`, a film that somehow got away with the implication that the French affliction to drive like eejits is cool.

Hopefully it`s not the end of Besson`s involvement in the industry, because it would mean the end of his inimitable pedigree of flash-bang-wallop affairs like 2004`s `District 13`, which sees a DVD release in October - and the story goes a little something like this:

It`s 2010, and in an attempt to control the increasing crime and assorted other ne`er-do-wellings, the government has erected barrier walls and divided the city of Paris into zones. In District 13, the worst of the worst ghettos, Leïto crosses gangster boss Taha when he steal a bucket-load of his drugs in an attempt to stop them being peddled on the streets he calls home. After a violent confrontation, Leïto finds himself on the wrong end of justice and behind bars. Six months later, Taha rips off a truck passing through District 13, and finds himself the proud owner of a prototype neutron bomb. Timed to go off within a day, it`s up to Leïto to aid a decorated police officer and infiltrate District 13, stop the bomb, and maybe get a little revenge along the way.

Video

Presented in the panoptic aspect ratio of 2.35:1 with an anamorphic transfer, `District 13` has a distinct visual style. The graffiti-strew slum in which it`s set simply bristles with a bright, slightly washed out hue. It`s a fresh print from 2004, so there are no real problems with the transition to DVD. Being pedantic, you can pick out instances of clear edge enhancement haloing (aided by the burnished cinematography) and a spot of aliasing on a big screen TV, but no more than you`d expect from many other DVDs. It`s only worth mentioning because sometimes it`s fun to pretend you`re a snobby videophile.

Audio

You expect, deserve and really need a competent surround mix for a modern action flick, and District 13 doesn`t disappoint. The French track is strong, avoiding a common action movie mistake of overburdening with rears with every wall-Juddering effect. Instead, it goes for the more authentic aural experience with stellar directional effect from a full 5.1 audio set-up; deep, bassy shudders from the sub, well placed spot-effects from behind and a smooth delegation of dialogue and effects to the centre and front surrounds respectively.

Clean English subs.

Features

Making Of - A 54 minute featurette with cast and crew interviews and on-set and behind the scenes access to the inside scoop on everything from scripting to stunts.

Extended Scene - A longer version of one of the film`s big action scenes.

Outakes - 2 minutes worth of fluffing lines.

Trailers - Three for the feature itself, and a host for other world cinema films from the label.

Stephan Vigroux Documentary - A look at one of the big names in the world of `Parkour`.

Parkour Vision - A short look at the phenomenon.

Conclusion

From the opening set piece (which instantly brings to mind those `free running` idents the BBC ran a few years ago), it`s pretty clear what you`re in store for with `District 13`: 77 minutes of frenetic action in which you barely have time to blink. It`s interesting that they`ve chosen `parkour` as the basis for their stunts, although not surprising seeing as it`s French in origin, differing from the `free running` hooplah in that there`s less emphasis on looking the business while you do it. But District 13 sure looks the business. The close-up, intense cinematography of the perfectly executed, adrenaline fuelled exploits of supernatural reflex are worth the ticket price alone. It`s the classic hallmark of Luc Besson.

Unlike several other name directors keen to throw around a production credit (which seemingly only serves to increase their filmography - looking at you messers Woo and Craven) Besson`s production influence is always so vivid, you have to wonder how much input the actual director has behind the camera. That said, this is firmly from that distinct Besson stable which houses the afore mentioned `Taxi` and `The Transporter` - flashy action pieces with wafer thin plots and one-dimensional characters that can`t hold a candle to the films he`s actually helmed; your Nikitas and your Léons are in a whole other stratosphere. But that doesn`t stop this film from being fun with a rather large F; Slick editing, bone-crunching fights and the benefit of relentless pace that would have the Tokyo bullet train yearning for a faster pair of skates. The acting appears to be good, but when the characters spend 90% of their screen time bouncing about like a doped-up bluebottle, you can never really tell.

And we mustn`t forget the film is actually surprisingly relevant considering the riots, unemployment rates and general intolerance that make up the social disorder France has found itself suffering over the past few years, and `District 13` paints the stark picture that it ain`t better any time soon. However, thankfully they aren`t trying to kid anyone that this is the place for an examination of these issues, and despite a rather heavy-handed coup de grâce message, the whole idea of Paris going to hell in a hand basket is firmly a plot device to springboard the story and frame the narrative.

A pure action driven piece of Euro-fluff, `District 13` is heartily recommended, providing you`re not looking for more from it than glossy, empty-calorie eye candy. Be sure and check your brain at the cloakroom, as this one`s best watched in a wide-eyed, gaping mouthed trance.