The story is pretty much incidental since the real meat of the picture comes from the wild stunts and breath-taking fight scenes.
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It is the year 2010 and the French government has thrown their hands up when it comes to the crime-infested Parisian ghetto known as Barrio 13, or B13. After shutting down all schools, hospitals, and other public utilities, they have erected an enormous wall around B13. The inhabitants' lives aren't made any easier thanks to a powerful drug lord named Taha (Bibi Naceri, who also co-wrote the script), who rules most of the ghetto with an iron fist. One of the few residents brave enough to stand against him is Leito (David Belle), who is on the run from Taha's men after destroying a large drug shipment.
When Leito escapes, Taha's chief enforcer, K2 (Tony D'Amario), abducts Leito's younger sister, Lola (Dany Verissimo). Not soon after, Leito manages to rescue Lola, capture Taha, and take him to the last, remaining police station left in the district. Unfortunately, the cops are packing it in and would rather let Taha go than face off against his forces. Taha walks off, with Lola as his captive, while Leito is taken away to prison.
Six months pass and an armored truck, containing a neutron bomb, has been hijacked within the confines of the wall. The police enlist their best undercover officer, Damien (Cyril Raffaelli), to team with Leito in order to break into B13 and deactivate the bomb, before it detonates.
"District B13" comes from the mind of Luc Besson, the man who has brought us an array of action flicks such as, "La Femme Nikita", "The Professonal", "The Fifth Element." Though he hasn't directed as much, Besson has stayed active as a writer and producer on the "Transporter" films and the Jet Li vehicles, "Kiss of the Dragon" and "Unleashed." If you've seen these latter movies, you're likely to know what you'll be getting into with "District B13." The story is pretty much incidental since the real meat of the picture comes from the wild stunts and breath-taking fight scenes.
Years ago, actor David Belle, along with several friends, developed an extreme sport known as Parkour that turns a city landscape into your own personal urban playground. The object of Parkour is to move from point A to point B, the quickest way possible, and without stopping. It's something that hasn't been seen too much Stateside, other than an issue of the comic book series, Global Frequency. Not surprisingly, watching the heroes is a bit like seeing a comic book come to life. Leito and Damien move through the ghetto as if they were bitten by a radioactive spider, they run along rooftops, leap over barricades, and scuttle along walls. One of Belle's friends and developers of Parkour, Sebastien Foucan, will utilize his skills in the upcoming Bond film, "Casino Royale."
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[release]19813[/release]