B13: Banlieue 13 (2006)

Directed by Pierre Morel. Starring Cyril Raffaelli, David Belle, Larbi Naceri, Tony D’Amario, Dany Verissimo, François Chattot, Marc Andréoni, Alain Rimoux, Samir Guesmi, Nicolas Woirion, Patrick Olivier, Tarik Boucekhine. [R]

In the near-future, the poorest and most crime-ridden neighborhoods of Paris has become a walled district, denied basic services and police protection…but these filmmakers are disinterested in exploring this premise, and instead simply fill the screen with nearly wall-to-wall action amid a routine melodrama of two highly-capable individuals (Raffaelli & Belle) reluctantly joining forces to infiltrate a drug den, rescue Belle’s kidnapped sister, and disarm an accidentally-activated bomb. Hardly any plot or character to speak of, but that’s not a fatal flaw for a hyper-adrenalized genre picture like this; the real casualties are a shortage of wit, invention, and distinction beyond its style. The lead actors were, of course, hired for their athletic abilities over their dramatic chops, and lots of impressive stuntwork captures intermittent interest. Unfortunately, aggressive editing spoils some of the spectacle of this Parkour-plus-martial-arts showcase (in many ways, France’s answer to Thailand’s Ong Bak). English-language title: District 13. Followed by a sequel (B13-U: Banlieu 13 – Ultimatum) and an American remake (Brick Mansions).

55/100