Several frogs a leaping

DISTRICT 13

Ah Luc Besson, to think that there was a time when I admired you :P

“District 13” was made only two years ago, but harkens back to the days of the trashy 80s buddy movies. A certain cheapness permeated the entire proceedings. There’s no point talking about plot or acting, cause that’s not what this film is about. Juvenile fun is the order of the day :D

The film is nothing more than an excuse to showcase the daring acrobatic abilities of David Belle. This is the man who invented the Parkour craze, an activity that involves plenty of springing off walls and hopping off roofs. Believe me when I say that its far more impressive than it sounds. The level of fitness required to pull off these stunts is mind-boggling! Even more surprising is the assurance that all these feats were achieved without the use of stunt doubles, special effects or wirework :P

“District 13” is a no-brainer of a movie and fans of martial arts flicks will find plenty to enjoy here. If for no other reason, I can recommend this movie purely on the basis of its two main protagonists. Both are SO impossibly attractive (but in completely different ways), that it beggars belief :D

On an aside, I should point out that the premise of this movie (trying to contain a violent area of Paris by simply building a wall around it) seemed like the most ridiculous thing in the world. But right after I watched I the movie, I saw a report on Sky News that showed that exactly the same thing has been done in some part of Iraq. I kid you not!!