Luc Besson is the Jean-Luc Godard of action movies. He’s French, he’s male, he’s er…he’s…umm…ok, the similarities end there. But just as Godard put his unique stamp on every one of his films, so too does Besson, as whether he’s writing, directing or producing (or all three), it’s pretty easy to recognize a Besson film when you see one. The Besson-penned DISTRICT 13: ULTIMATUM is no different, and Besson’s cues are all present – you’ve got the almost invincible central protagonist(s), the spunky and tough female supporting character, the corrupt government officials, and most importantly, the Asian-influenced action sequences. Besson’s very own unique brand of cliché is firmly in place. Not that this is a bad thing of course, for these recognizable characteristics are what make Besson’s films so riotous and downright fun to watch in the first place.

DISTRICT 13: ULTIMATUM is a sequel to DISTRICT 13 (a pretty obvious statement there, sorry) that free-runs into action straight where the first one left off, even giving the audience a quick overlapping reminder of the conclusion to the original. Then as with the first one, a swift character introduction to both protagonists is in order, wherein we’re treated to Leito (David Belle) doing a lot of jumping around in the titular district, whilst outside (in “normal” France) Tomaso (Cyril Raffaelli) kicks some French ass all whilst protecting a priceless Van Gogh (even though he uses it to beat two tones of turd out of the bad guys). The storyline then progresses in order to bring the two together to stop the government from blowing up District 13 AGAIN.

So it’s the same storyline as the original, but what else is different? Well, unfortunately not much. With sequels to these kinds of films you always expect bigger and better, and although the action sequences are bigger, they’re not necessary any better. Consider a scene when Leito and Tomaso need to escape the cops in their car:

Leito: Zut alors! What are we going to do? It’s dead ends left right and center.

Tomaso: Don’t worry. There’s a huge ramp that happens to be right beneath a car-size window which leads to a car-size corridor in a building where it’s possible to drive a car almost anywhere inside just over there.

Leito: PHEW! That was a close one Tomaso!

Tomaso: Voulez-vous coucher avec moi ce soir?

It’s this kind of convenience that pervades and subsequently ruins many of the action sequences as the realism that was inherent in the original is lost in a mire of invincible paintings and indestructible cars. Additionally, Tomaso has also developed the unique ability to change into a female on demand and uses this rare gift to fool the bad guys into thinking he’s a stripper. Harry Potter wouldn’t stand a chance against this guy.

Luckily there are plus points, the most important being that the martial arts and parkour sequences retain the same back-to-basics pragmatism that was so refreshing and remarkable about the original DISTRICT 13. Unfortunately, a lack of fight/parkour scenes is evident in the first half, but once the climactic raid occurs this is more than made up for with almost every principal character having their own fight scene without simultaneously eclipsing Belle’s or Raffaelli’s limelight. Regrettably there’s a definite case of “you attack first and then I’ll attack once you’ve been thrown out the window” with regards to the bad guys but in all seriousness, who actually cares about that anymore?

Aside from the impressive fight and free running sequences, another welcome return is the chemistry between the two leads which certainly adds a needed grounding for the surrounding chaos. It’s hard not to smile when the two first meet up during a prison break-out and it’s this sense of camaraderie and brotherhood that brings an energizing edge to the otherwise familiar peripherals. The supporting cast also do well with their limited material but the most interesting side-character, Lao – who uses a blade attached to her ponytail as a weapon – is not explored as thoroughly as she should.

Overall, DISTRICT 13: ULTIMATUM only just falls short of surpassing the original due to the realism barrier being drop-kicked and smashed round a bad-guys face, but the hand-to-foot-to-groin combat similarly doesn’t disappoint. Even though compared to the original it remains slightly disappointing, it’s still a mile better than most action films coming out of Hollywood and it certainly cements Besson’s name as the reigning purveyor of Trans-national action cinema in and out of Hollywood.

The R2 Optimum DVD comes with a making of, trailers, a music video and a collection of deleted and extended scenes (which are ALL fight scenes – so definitely worth a look).

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