Review of District B13

I haven't seen many foreign films that were purely action flicks with the exception of films from China. I guess this might be because most foreign film production companies do not possess the finances to compete with the big-budget blockbusters of Hollywood. The CGI that is now so common in American action films is absent in the majority of foreign films. However, in District B13 (2006), director Pierre Morel proves that using none or at least very few digital effects can actually be beneficial to the action genre. District B13 is more visually stunning than the majority of the summer blockbusters released in recent years. This is caused by the superior stunt work as well as the amazing features of free running (running without stopping no matter what obstacles get in your way). The story follows a separated district in Paris where all people of poverty and crime have been isolated from the rest of the city. When a group of thugs from District B13 hijack a rocket, it is up to two men (one a undercover police officer, the other a former resident of District B13) to stop the bomb from going off. The story is simple, yet it presents a political message about poverty life in the big city. Overall, District B13 is one of the best foreign action films I've ever seen mainly because of the impressive stunts performed by the two lead characters. If you love action movies, you should check this film out.

RATING: 3.9/5