Under the direction of Pierre Morel, Liam Neeson is breaking heads and raking in the moolah with ‘Taken’. Â �So far, the actioner has brought in a whopping $122 million worldwide, $53 million of that in US grosses. Â �However, in his native land, France, the director, Morel, is known for another action flick. Â �For those of you who haven’t seen ‘District B13′, you’re missing out on one of the most fast-pace, kickass action films in recent memory.

Set in 2010, which seemed a little more futuristic when the film came out in 2004, the film follows an undercover cop (Cyris Raffaelli) and a vigilante (David Belle) must infiltrate the gang-infested ghettos of Paris. Â �They have 24 hours before a nuclear weapon is set to go off. Â �Much running, jumping, and overall badassery ensues.

If Snake Plissken listened to techno music, and was a whole helluva lot more agile, this is the kind of movie ‘Escape from New York’ would have been. Â �In fact, Morel’s film wears its influences proudly. Â �’Escape from New York’ is just one of many films to be referrenced here.

What ‘District B13′ is best know for, really, is its usage of parkour. Â �In fact, this is the film that introduced parkour to the world of cinema. Â �For those who do not know, parkour is an activity wherein someone moves from one point to another in quickest, most efficient way. Â �This is even if there are things in the person’s way. Â �People utilizing parkour will climb up sides of buildings, leap over walls, and never slowing down. Â �

If you saw ‘Casino Royale’, the chase scene in the beginning features parkour heavily. Â �The “damn hamster” John McClane is trying to shoot is actually Cyril Raffaelli. Â �David Belle, the star of ‘District B13′, is actually the founder of this sport. Â �90% of the action scenes in ‘District B13′ are real people doing real stunts without the usage of computer graphics or wirework.

Co-written by Luc Besson, ‘District B13′ got its release in France on November 10th, 2004. Â �It made nearly $7 million there before getting a release across the globe. Â �It got its US release on June 2, 2006. Â �It served somewhat of a counter-programming release to Universal’s ‘The Break-Up’, even though it only made $1.2 million in US box office. Â �It got its widest release of 151 screens when it opened, and it was out of theaters in 91 days.

The critical acclaim for ‘District B13′ was startling. Â �It currently has an 82% fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes. Â �Critics referred to the film as “the most (maybe the only) fun action movie of the summer” and “both ridiculously hyperactive and a muscular feat of absolute confidence”. Â �Richard Schickel of TIME Magazine said of the film, “‘District B13′ makes everything Hollywood has lately done in the action genre look clumsy, dull and stale.”

A sequel to ‘District B13′, tentatively titled ‘District B13 Ultimatum’, began filming in August of 2008 in Belgrade, Serbia. Â �Both Raffaelli and Bell are reprising their respective roles, but Morel is not returning in the directing chair. Â �Luc Besson is still on writing/producing duties, but Patrick Alessandrin has stepped into the director’s chair.

‘District B13′ really is a film that any fan of action should check out. Â �It is a hyperkinetic film that never lets up, and, unlike ‘Taken’, it hits you right from the start. Â �There are a few moments of cheese and the film’s conclusion is predictable and hokey, but the film looks spectacular and the action involved is mind-blowing.

I first ran an article (here) about the Liam Neeson thriller, ‘Taken,’ almost a whole year ago.

And now, after having its release date bumped and moved and even questioned as to whether or not it would make it to theaters… ‘Taken’ is number one at this weekends box office.

$24,625,000

Take that, you fat mall cop!

For serious, though, ‘Taken’ is pretty awesome. Did you see it yet? No? Then be ashamed…

Jeremy:

Neeson rocks the hizzy! � Who knew Oskar Schindler could punch and kick with the best of them? � Seriously, this film is going to get compared endlessly to the Bourne films, and, probably, deservedly so.

The film centers on Bryan (Liam Neeson), a former spy who is living his days as simply as possible, trying to stay as close to his daughter (Maggie Grace) as possible. � His ex-wife (Famke Janssen), having lived the life of a spy’s wife for too many years, has long since left him and taken their daughter with her. � She lets the daughter do whatever it is the daughter wants to do, so, when the time arises for the young girl to travel across Europe with a friend, the dutiful father doesn’t have much say in the matter.

And, if there’s anything action films have told us, it’s that you always trust the gut instinct of a trained killer. � No sooner has Bryan’s daughter landed in Paris than she and her friend become targeted by a group of Albanian slave traders. � Having hearing the kidnapping over the phone, Bryan quickly hops across the Atlantic to break some arms, plow through some building, and basically tear the shit out of Paris until he can find his little girl.

Luc Besson, always a fan favorite when he’s sitting behind the camera, puts pen to paper on this story, but don’t let that surprise you. � Besson has written some of the best action screenplays in the past ten years such as ‘The Transporter’, ‘Danny the Dog’ (or ‘Unleashed’, as it was released as here), and ‘District B13′. � He knows how to keep the action moving once it’s started, and he doesn’t disappoint here.

I did say “once it’s started” for a reason. � This comes as a result of one of ‘Taken’s’ biggest problems. � It takes way too long to get started. � Literally 1/3 of the film’s running time has been eaten away at before the daughter becomes endangered, and it’s probably another 10 before Neeson busts his first skull. � A lot of editing could have gone on in the film’s first half, and, having taken that away, another action scene could have been added in the 11th hour to the back end.

Of course, once the action starts, you forget all about that tedious first 30 and just enjoy the ride. � This film has some great action, and Neeson brings the pain in abundance.

No one besides Neeson has much to do here, though. � You just wanna slap Janssen, but that’s the kind of thankless role she’s stuck with. � Ditto on Grace’s character who is just asking to get kidnapped in a foreign country. � Seriously, how hard is it to call your father as soon as you’ve landed in Paris? � Crazy teenagers.

Leland Orser and John Gries show up for about five minutes as Neeson’s former spy buddies, but Gries has absolutely nothing to do with the story, and Orser helps out about as much as Diddy Kong in DK Country. � Seriously, what did that little monkey do? � He could jump high. � Ooohh!

The main focus here, and it’s pretty obvious, is how much of a badass Neeson’s character is. � This is definitely Jason Bourne-style fighting. � This isn’t Jason Statham-esque slickness that goes well with Paul Oakenfold. � It’s down and dirty with Neeson grabbing anything and everything in his environment to use as a weapon. � There are even times where Neeson delves into Jack Bauer territory when he proves to everyone that he is willing to do anything and everything to get his daughter back safely. � There are some really good surprises in store.

‘Taken’ is a good action movie. � It’s not great. � Some editing and maybe a little more kick assery would have been well received.

[Overall: 3 stars out of 5]

Ram Man:

Transporter director Pierre Morel has taken another turn in the action arena with his new film ‘Taken’. This time around though it’s Liam Neeson doing his best Jason Bourne imitation laying waste to the bad guys barely breaking a sweat.

‘Taken’ is the story of � Black-Ops agent Bryan Mills (Neeson), whose duty to the government cost him his marriage and a relationship with his daughter. Now retired, he is trying to reconnected with his little girl, Kim (Maggie Grace). � Mills new battle is with his spoiled diva ex-wife Lenore (Famke Jansen) who remarried a rich guy and now continues to show up Bryan in every turn and rub his nose in it. The latest scam Lenore and Kim come up with is a Paris trip for Kim and a friend to see the museums before she runs off to college. Mills agrees with the stipulations that Kim check in with him regularly.

At the Airport, while unloading the kids bags, Bryan discovers a map with multiple stops in Europe. Bryan brings it to Lenore only to find out the kids are really going to follow U2 on their European tour! Mills freaks†�but lets Kim go on the trip. Kim being accompanied by BFF Amanda (Katie Cassidy) land in Paris and immediately meet a cute boy Peter (Nicolas Giraud) and share a cab ride with him. Soon they find out the boy was a stagger for a ring of Albanian kidnappers, when a group of men break into the house. Kim is able to get to a bathroom and call her Dad. Mills walks his daughter through the events that are about to happen and ends it with†�†�They are going to take you.†�

He was right! They take the girls and sell them on the black market into sex slavery. The leader of the group picks up the phone and Mills tries to reason with the kidnapper, telling him to “just let the girls go and he won’t come after him. If you take he I posses unique talents that allow me to find people like you, I will find you and I will kill you.†� The kidnapper responds with a simple “Good Luck†�.

Mills leaves for Paris immediately. He checks out the apartment and finds the phone and is able to down load some pictures to help track down the Albanians with the help of his spy buddies. Mills learns typically in these cases you have a window of 96 hours to find the girls before they will disappear forever. This is when Mills begins to tear Paris apart single handed.

‘Taken’ is a pretty good action flick to start off the year. Neeson pull off the pissed off spy dad that is going to barrell his way through anybody or anything to get his daughter back. I was even impressed with Famke Jansen as the bitchy ex-wife. Yes Morel’s ’Taken’ will remind you of his successful Transporter series with a little Jason Bourne mixed in. � I recommend checking this out (preferably at a matinee to save a few bucks).

[Overall: 2.75 stars out of 5]

Allocine [via TwitchFilm] is reporting that the sequel to the 2004 French action film “District B13″ is in the works. Luc Besson returns to write the script and Pierre Morell will be replaced by Patrick Alessandrin, who is best known for some French comedies.

The plot for the upcoming film has yet to be revealed. It is also unknown whether David Belle and Cyril Raffaelli will return to reprise their roles. Filming is expected to begin in July and continue till October.

The first film is set in the ghettos of Paris in 2010, where an undercover cop and an ex-thug try to infiltrate a gang in order to defuse a neutron bomb.