When District B13 exploded onto the scene in 2004, so did the phenomenon known as parkour (or free-running), where participants move through any situation by adapting to whatever obstacles come in their way with astonishing speed and agility. B13's director, Pierre Morel, and producer/screenwriter Luc Besson masterfully showcased this art by setting it within the confines of a burnt-out future slum -- adding some fantastic fight scenes along the way. Years later, the same slum is revisited in this follow-up, which tries to match its predecessor's energy but ends up floundering when it should be delivering the action-packed goods.
Back once again is special forces martial artist Damien Tomaso (Cyril Raffaelli) and his parkour-master contact in the criminal world, Leïto (David Belle) -- this time, teaming together to thwart the plans of a corrupt arm of the government to destroy France's B13 slums in order to make a killing off a contract deal. When Damien gets set up and put into prison, he calls on his old friend Leïto to bust him out in order to get to the bottom of what's happening. In the meantime, Leïto is being pursued by the authorities thanks to a valued piece of evidence in his possession that could put an end to the nefarious plan. Together they gather up the different ethnic gangs in B13 and stage a revolt before B13 is firebombed and the French president unwillingly becomes an accomplice to genocide.
Ultimatum shines best when it sticks close to the original -- the initial parkour scene does a fairly good job at presenting Belle's incredible talents. It might not equal the feats showcased in the original, but it's a good start. The same goes for Raffaelli's big fight scene, which finds him fighting hoards of henchmen while protecting a priceless Picasso painting. Throughout both scenes, director Patrick Alessandrin guides the action with a sure hand and with none of the jumpy cutting that plagued Besson's last French export, Transporter 3. Sadly, once each cast member gets his due, the picture loses steam. Sure, there is a car chase that goes through a building -- and Elodie Yung nearly steals the show with her lethal ponytail blade, but nevertheless, the film leaves the viewer wanting more.
This empty feeling probably has to do with the tepid ending. Besson, now a French action movie mogul, is usually known to step up the action at the end of the pictures he presents; Ultimatum never really does that. Even the one fight that things seem to be leading up to is abruptly ended by a lame joke, with everything after that moving into this sugary-sweet Spy Kids "We're all in this together -- we're family!" kind of resolution. Still, one can't write off the whole film for stumbling at the end -- yet this is one of those examples when more action-movie conventions are not only welcomed, but expected. The filmmakers would be wise to understand that when explosive cinema fails to top itself in the final act, the audience will tune out, no matter what fantastic feats it has already delivered.