It’s called Banlieue 13 in France – though the posters have B13 – Banlieue 13 on them. In Canada and the US its District B13, I guess the name Suburb B13 just doesn’t have the required Ooomph. And before the films started the BBFC title card (rated 15 for some jumping off of roof action and fights that sound worse than they look) we get a real mouthful: Banlieue 13 – District B13.
The posters just call it District 13. Luckily the one constant in the name is the 13. A number which is unlucky for some, and certainly the inhabitants of this particular suburb of future Paris where the police have moved out (hey didn’t that happen in a John Carptenter film) and left to the lawless. They built a wall around it, though luckily the wall is mainly made of shonky unconvincing CGI so its shouldn’t trouble anyone. But “oh noes” somehow a clean nuclear bomb has found its way into Banlieue 13 and we need to send the roughest, toughest criminal to get it out (hey, didn’t that happen in a John Carpenter film too?) Sometimes though the reductionist maths of films really is all you need to know:
(Escape From New York + The Transporter) x Jump London = District (B)13.
That should be more than enough to sucker you in – hooray for Luc Besson action movies. Admittedly the above equation has been identified by every other critic ever, so apologies for redundancy of info. However I have the one killer fact that all other reviews have missed out which should make you run out now and see this movie: David Belle – erstwhile free running star of B13 is the dead spit of Shakin’ Stevens