District 13 (5)

This film, Banlieue 13, is all an action, guys being tough and techno music flick. Luckily, it's not needlessly stretched out and is only 1:15 long and was a watchable 5 (I wouldn't want to watch it again, but it was ok).

In 2010 in a walled off ghetto of Paris, and a gang is after Leito. Luckily for Leito, he is a pro at parkour - leaping and climbing through buildings - and has an impressive chase. But his sister is captured and ends up being imprisoned by the police. Six months later, the gang steal a city destroying bomb so a cop, Damien, teams up with Leito (for this inside knowledge of the ghetto, District 13) to retrieve it. Damien wants the bomb, Leito wants his sister and they are both after the same gang. Que lots of fights, martial arts, leaping about, a car chase, loads of bullets as these two super athletes take them on.

This is very much a film to show off Parkour and the gymnastics of the two heroes - the opening Parkour chase is good. The laws of physics are not smashed to bits by what people do in this film, though they are bent are few times. The action is also pretty good, much like Jackie Chan using anything at his disposal, but without the comedy. The idea for the story wasn't bad - it is straight forward, so there's no need for any cerebral activity while watching. It is let down by some poor acting, improbable bad guys and improbable police and very poor dubbing from French into English. Please stop dubbing films, just give me subtitles!!

Finally, why do the good guys always run down the middle of the street when being chased by the bad guys in cars? This is very common, and very weak!! But they usually outrun the cars too!