District B13
Magnolia Pictures | Release Date: June 2, 2006 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
70
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 28 Critic Reviews
Positive:
23
Mixed:
5
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
91
Seattle Post-IntelligencerSean Axmaker
It's great to see action stars cast for their moves -- their grace in motion is thrilling -- but they also have the charisma to pull off the characters. Read full review
90
TimeRichard Schickel
Makes everything Hollywood has lately done in the action genre look clumsy, dull and stale. It is a short, nonstop stuntfest that, by going back to basics and placing them on the screen with simple, breathless stylishness, turns what is essentially a lowlife movie form into something one is not embarrassed to call "pure" cinema--all energy, movement and high kinetic wit. Read full review
90
Film ThreatKJ Doughton
Think of "Escape from New York" starring two French Spidermen on speed, and you've got District B13, a snazzy, sensational action ride from big-bang guru Luc Besson. Read full review
88
Boston GlobeWesley Morris
Like its stunt work, the movie is both ridiculously hyperactive and a muscular feat of absolute confidence. I don't expect to have a more adrenalizing time at the movies this summer. Read full review
83
Christian Science MonitorPeter Rainer
It may be subtitled, and the faces may be unfamiliar, but District B13 is the best buddy action movie around. Read full review
80
Village VoiceJim Ridley
Spread the word: This delirious import is the most (maybe the only) fun action movie of the summer. Read full review
80
The New York TimesNathan Lee
With backing from the film's producer and co-writer, Luc Besson, the director, Pierre Morel, mounts a breakneck B movie inspired by Hong Kong action extravaganzas, the gritty genre classics of John Carpenter and the Thai neo-kung fu parable "Ong Bak." He hasn't reinvented this particular wheel, but he gets it spinning with delirious savoir-faire. Read full review
78
Austin ChronicleMarjorie Baumgarten
This French import is a worthy entrant into the adrenalized cadre of action films like "Run Lola Run" and "Ong-Bak: The Thai Warrior" (which Besson produced). What District B13 lacks in story development it compensates for with stunningly realistic action. Read full review
75
Entertainment WeeklyMarc Bernardin
The big innovation here is that the two nimble leads, stuntmen-turned-stars, are devotees of parkour, a fancy French word for the fluid use of urban environments as jungle gyms. Read full review
75
TV Guide MagazineMaitland McDonagh
What you're seeing isn't wire work or CGI -- it's stunt choreography, beautifully executed, flawlessly cut together and brainlessly thrilling. Read full review
75
New York Daily NewsElizabeth Weitzman
Besson takes a few clumsy stabs at political relevance, but it's clear that grand themes are not his priority. That's okay: His charismatic leads are martial-arts masters, and their breathtaking stunts smoothly lift the movie every time it stumbles. Read full review
75
Baltimore SunMichael Sragow
For better and worse, the entire film goes by like a theme-park cyclone ride. It makes as much sense as it needs to when you're on it. All it leaves in its wake is a residue of vertigo and speed. Read full review
75
PremiereEthan Alter
If you've been disappointed by the recent rash of mediocre blockbusters, District B13 may provide some of the mindless fun you're looking for. Read full review
70
VarietyLisa Nesselson
Fast, dumb fun. Read full review
70
L.A. WeeklyErnest Hardy
Go for the dazzling, if repetitive, human stunt work. Endure the appallingly simplistic politics. Read full review
70
The Hollywood ReporterFrank Scheck
By most standards, District B13 is a fairly routine summer action movie, albeit one in French. But what makes it unique are the truly amazing and kinetic action scenes featuring Parkour pioneer Belle and co-star Cyril Raffaelli. Read full review
70
Wall Street JournalJoe Morgenstern
Real-life events have overtaken District B13, and they give this feverish, yet oddly flat French action adventure a whiff of substance to go along with its spectacular stunts.
70
Chicago ReaderJonathan Rosenbaum
This is every bit as silly and adolescent as you'd expect from Besson, and about as contemporary as "The Perils of Pauline." But I was delighted by the balletic and acrobatic stunts, some of which evoke Tarzan. Read full review
67
The A.V. ClubScott Tobias
Morel tries to keep the energy up for 85 minutes straight, but the film never manages to top itself, and in spite of the political overtones, it doesn't provide much thematic sustenance. Read full review
67
Portland OregonianShawn Levy
As a brief introduction to Belle and his amazing gifts, District B 13 is a treat. But as a movie its feet are dully planted on the ground. Read full review
63
Chicago TribuneMichael Wilmington
A ridiculous but exciting action movie. Read full review
63
ReelViewsJames Berardinelli
District B13 is action porn. It's a series of amazingly choreographed, kinetic action sequences tied together by a laughably bad script and worse acting. Read full review
63
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Liam Lacey
Flashy camera work, a clattering techno soundtrack and impressive synchronized stunt work fill where the plot goes AWOL. Read full review
60
Los Angeles TimesKevin Crust
More athletes than actors, Raffaelli and Belle are terrific when their bodies are in motion but the movie grinds to a halt when they open their mouths. Read full review
60
EmpireStaff (Not credited)
The cast hurls itself into the comic-book violence, while the stunt choreography and razor-sharp editing are exhilarating. Read full review
50
Washington PostDesson Thomson
Its hackneyed themes prevent the sci-fi flick from feeling like anything more than well-directed mediocrity. Read full review
50
New York PostLou Lumenick
District B13 looks great, but don't let those subtitles fool you. At heart, it's every bit as proudly dumb as its American counterparts. Read full review
50
San Francisco ChronicleRuthe Stein
If you can still be entertained by a thriller that unabashedly borrows from others of its ilk and don't mind reading subtitles, you could do worse than District B13. It's over so fast, in a quick 85 minutes, there's scarcely time to get bored by the silly plot. Read full review
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