Banlieue 13 - Ultimatum 2009

Robert Abele, Chicago Tribune: It amounts to a raucous and colorfully junky helping of seconds. Read more

Keith Uhlich, Time Out: It's fortunate ... that Besson, the sole credited writer, and director Patrick Alessandrin take their sweet time getting to the plot. Read more

David Edelstein, New York Magazine/Vulture: It's campier than its predecessor, but its gung ho union of black, white, and Asian gangs against reactionaries who'd destroy them is a virtuosic assertion of punky Parisian multiculturalism. Read more

Ted Fry, Seattle Times: Besson's philosophy of breakneck action and spectacular set pieces guides the brilliant blend of physical stunts and cartoon conception of a walled-in slum on the fringes of a near-future Paris. Read more

Scott Tobias, AV Club: District B13 begged for a cash-in sequel, and Besson certainly isn't above providing one. Read more

Wesley Morris, Boston Globe: This is the first action movie in which bombs serve a humanitarian end. Read more

Cliff Doerksen, Chicago Reader: This sequel to the French actioner District B13 (2004) offers more of what made the original such a sublimely stupid pleasure. Read more

Amy Biancolli, Houston Chronicle: No need for CGI when you've got sweet moves, fast feet and a bottomless hoard of adrenaline. Read more

Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor: It's easy to call this film a video action game starring real people, but that "real" part means a lot. I'd rather see a world-class martial artist like Raffaelli do his thing instead of a CGI simulacrum. Read more

Cary Darling, Dallas Morning News: Read more

Lisa Kennedy, Denver Post: This tale of conspiracy and corruption, directed with adrenalized pleasure by Patrick Alessandrin and written by a reinvigorated Luc Besson, has a brain. Read more

Tom Long, Detroit News: Simply put, if you're wearing a uniform in this movie, you're going to get hammered. And you're going to be too dumb to just draw your pistol and shoot one of the stars. Read more

Amy Nicholson, I.E. Weekly: Approaches politics like an Axe commercial. Like a cocky 14-year-old, it's all bluster when we want grownup charm and menace. Read more

Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News: There's little difference between the first and second movies so the perfunctory story line will feel familiar to fans. But the action, and the head-spinning stunts of those agile lead actors, will never get old. Read more

Kyle Smith, New York Post: Luc Besson's script marries his B-movie sensibility with appropriately sophomoric political grandstanding... Read more

Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer: Roof-hopping, check. Banister-leaping, mais, oui. Read more

Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: If anyone is going to persuade fanboys to attend a movie with French subtitles, that man is Luc Besson. Read more

Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune: While it doesn't match the bombastic, bone-breaking brio of its predecessor, 2004's District B-13, this sequel imaginatively spices up the leftovers. Read more

Trevor Johnston, Time Out: The film's real problem is building momentum from its action set-pieces. Belle's agility and Raffaelli's fleet footwork are fine, but the parade of rent-a-thugs toppling like ninepins isn't very exciting. Read more

Brian Miller, Village Voice: Besson explains the plot three times more than necessary. Read more