Trailer and clips from ‘District B13′ sequel

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News | Film News | by Mark Pollard

David Belle and Cyril Raffaelli in BANLIEUE 13 - ULTIMATUM

Parkour co-founder David Belle and stunt actor Cyril Raffaelli, the stars of parkour actioner DISTRICT B13 are back with a sequel which is coming to theaters in France on February 18th. The following videos include a trailer, clips and behind-the-scenes footage from BANLIEUE 13: ULTIMATUM. The vids display explosive action scenes at least as good, if not better than the original.

Like its predecessor, ULTIMATUM is written and produced by Luc Besson and this time features Patrick Alessandrin in the director’s chair. Alessandrin is curiously seen in one of the clips wearing what looks like a flesh-colored long-sleeve shirt with a tattoo print. I guess that’s one way to not look tough while trying to.

Not surprisingly, Belle is back doing his free-running tricks while Raffaelli focuses on the martial arts fighting and acrobatics. I could dig up a translated plot outline but who really cares? Like DISTRICT B13, this film is undoubtedly a showcase for parkour and French action filmmaking first and foremost.

I know that parkour is still a growing urban sport but I wonder how long it’s going to remain popular in the film world. You can only jump between buildings so many ways before it gets dangerous enough that someone has to strap a harness on the performer. Hong Kong already does it that way. Just watch the rooftop chase scene in INVISIBLE TARGET.

I digress, but isn’t that sad? We have to look to France and Thailand to see actors doing cutting-edge stunt work the hard way while the Hong Kong film industry meekly tries to play catch up.

Hong Kong action directors practically use wires just to get an actor across a street safely nowadays. You never know when a red light will suddenly turn green and someone throws a cup of cappuccino at you from their car because you’re in their way. Next thing you know, Shawn Yue gets foam in his eyes and a stunt double has to be called in to finish getting to the other side of the street. It’s sad.

Anyhow, check out the sultry femme fatale Elodie Yung in the fourth clip. This French actress began her career acting in several TV series and in 2004 starred in the minor free-running flick THE GREAT CHALLENGE (aka SONS OF THE WIND). The blades sticking out from the end of her braided hair isn’t a new idea. That concept has appeared in several classic kung fu movies set during the Qing Dynasty.

Trailer

Clip: Cyril Raffaelli fights with picture

Clip: David Belle runs from police

Elodie Yung battles soldiers

Behind the Scenes – Part 1: David Belle

Behind the Scenes – Part 2: Cyril Raffaelli

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  • andrea
    WHAT HAPPENED TO LOLA!!
    email me if u know:
    glam_rocker110@hotmail.com
  • Belgand
    Indeed. While I respect them both greatly they are different approaches entirely. Parkour is about effective movement through space. Jackie Chan's work is usually the result of being put in a position where he is more or less forced to do something insane and reckless.
  • 107 - I think
    WOW - that is like totally awesome - the MTV style editing is just what I need for my ADD

    I am SOO completely unable to sit still long enough to see them complete a minimum of two moves in sequence! Good thing they filmed this in baby steps so I don't have to think - it also helped me learn to count up to 25 - cuts in a fight scene.

    I TOO can defy gravity (after eating el burrito grande of course).

    G2G - where are my meds...
  • remo
    "Set David Belle and Jackie Chan up for a race through urban environment. David Belle wins. End of story."

    That's probably true -- though not much of an accomplishment, given that Jackie is 54 and falling apart.

    But we're talking about making compelling movies, not running races. These clips strike me as rather contrived, along the lines of Gymkata. ("oh look, there just so happens to be a pommel horse set up in this crowded marketplace")

    Jackie's stunts don't feel that way, IMO. For example, his characters wouldn't jump off the side of a building without checking to see what's below first -- which adds to the realism, and also engages the audience in the scene and the stunt ("oh no, he is not going to do that is he?")

    The jumps in that clip definitely look cool, but there's absolutely zero suspense behind them.
  • Jump
    Stuntman.

    Set David Belle and Jackie Chan up for a race through urban environment.

    David Belle wins.

    End of story.
  • dragon (i)
    Cyril Raffaelli also did the fight scenes in tekken the movie.
  • Captain Boosh
    If you watch some of the behind the scenes footage of the first movie (I don't know where I saw it, online maybe?), they show certain stunts being performed with wires. Not the rooftop jumping, but going out the window and climbing ladder stuff is all harnesses for safety. That's not bad because it doesn't hurt the performance or make it unrealistic, because it's just a wire that prevents Belle from falling to his death if you slips, but doesn't pull him or anything.

    But yeah, they did some safety stuff first time around.

    But after watching Supercop again, it is amazing how hardcore Jackie Chan was in certain stunts and that harnesses were not popular with him, except when he got hit by the plane.
  • Senhal
    Another scene where someone plugs herself into an iPod before fighting a mob? Something similar happened in "Blade: Trinity" (but with worse product placement), and it was just as ridiculous then.
  • HVC
    balls to the wall. The first film only had maybe three real action scenes, with several smaller action moments within them. And that all comprised the 70 odd minute running time pretty much. This movie looks like it's got three times as much action content. Kinda nuts. And when Belle leaps out of that window and gymnastically swings up to the next floor... whoo, tight stuff.
  • Walter
    Wow! The first movie was awesome and I know the second will be better. This guy us great and I like his martial arts moves. I hope the movie comes out soon in the U.S. and hope to see him in more american movies like he did with die hard the third.
  • Stuntman
    A little moan about 'Parkour' ok the French may have given it a name 'Parkour', but Hong Kong cinema and even old black and white US cinema actors have been doing moves that could easy be classed now as 'Parkour' but better. Jackie Chan style as the most obvious example.
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