Directed by:
Richard DonnerScreenplay:
Richard WenkCinematography:
Glen MacPhersonComposer:
Klaus BadeltCast:
Bruce Willis, Mos Def, David Morse, Cylk Cozart, David Zayas, Robert Racki, Sasha Roiz, Conrad Pla, Robert Clohessy, Tig Fong, David Sparrow, Claudio Masciulli (more)VOD (4)
Plots(1)
16 BLOCKS is a tale of corrupt police officers, a Grand Jury witness, and one cop who is trying to do the right thing. Jack Mosley (Bruce Willis) is weary. A lame leg and a love affair with alcohol make him a virtual joke at the NYPD. Tired and ready to head home, Mosley is assigned one last job before he can punch out: pick up petty thief Eddie Bunker (Mos Def) in lock-up and transport him to the courthouse where he is set to testify before the Grand Jury. Only 16 New York City blocks separate the two, but it might as well be a million miles. Soon, the officer and his charge find themselves under fire, becoming the target of someone who wants to keep Bunker from testifying. Escaping the initial attack, Mosley calls for backup only to discover that corrupt police officers, including his ex-partner Frank Nugent (David Morse), want Bunker out of the picture. Mosley surprises everyone--maybe even himself--by doing the right thing and saving Bunker from certain death. With only 118 minutes to get the witness to the courthouse before the case will be thrown out, Mosley pulls out every trick in the book. He maneuvers Bunker through the crowded, confined streets of Manhattan's Chinatown towards their destination, trying to avoid the police officers who are hunting them down as they race against time. Willis fully inhabits Mosley, a washed-up cop who is haunted by his past decisions, and Mos Def is right on target as Bunker, a chatty career criminal being hunted just as he is ready to turn his life around and make something of himself. (official distributor synopsis)
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Reviews (8)
The two faces of good-old Richard Donner. On the one hand, he sticks to proven tracks and with this stylish crime thriller, he reminds us of action-packed hits from the 90s. On the other hand, this film has many things that are unusual for him. The most notable are the action scenes, where Donner, compared to the LW series for example, reduces explosiveness and dynamism and adds dryness and rawness. Simple and very effective, although not as cool as before. Bruce Willis is an old cat and it takes a decent few minutes for him to get into his usual shooting form, but he never forgets to drop a good wisecrack. The screenplay is decent and some scenes are truly clever. David Morse is excellent and elegant as the villain. A solid, intelligent action movie in an old-new package that will particularly please genre fans and lovers of the 90s.
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Good old-school movie. Donner seems to have returned to the '90s and Willis seems to be playing one of his former characters, like Joe Hallenbeck in The Last Boy Scout, only ten years later. Just an old and tired version :-). The story is 100% old-school, but it warms you up pleasantly. It's like the good old days are back for a while. Maybe that's why I’m giving it a rating of 4 stars instead of 3.
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Richard Donner’s final directorial effort, which this time veers into suspenseful thriller territory (though I still have him pegged to Superman, I can’t help it). Over the past decade, it’s been one of the most successful films that also features Bruce Willis. The idea is certainly unconventional; finally, someone tackled those perplexing blocks in New York (I really can’t understand how its residents navigate them). The Willis-Morse duo works excellently, their chemistry as characters is spot-on, and the casting of the hero and villain was well done. I’m a bit puzzled by the budget, which seems excessive. Yes, there are shootouts and a traffic accident, but at times it feels like the film could have done with a smaller budget. Otherwise, I enjoyed the catchy soundtrack, which fit the scenes well. The ending is traditionally moralistic, with good triumphing over evil. Sinking so many police officers and still living comfortably? It seems a bit fairy-tale-like, and I’d have changed the ending. But that doesn’t detract from the fact that it deserves a solid four stars in the end. Rating: 71%.
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Such a shame. In the first two acts, this drama had the makings of a nice 4*, but from the bus scene onwards, the story is one logical gaffe after another, with the most profane screenwriting cliché (I was 100% sure the screenwriter was going to unload on me) at the very end. Even so, Bruce Willis repaired his reputation after the bad Hostage. The role of an aging, limping cop suited him like a glove. The sword-wielding Mos Def took time to get used to (and played it well), and Richard Donner is still not an old hand. Summary: easily digestible three-star entertainment.
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Quite near the beginning there is a perfectly directed scene that whets your appetite and... and then nothing. 16 Blocks is a solid, old-school crime movie, but don’t expect anything more of it than a variation on what we have already seen a hundred times before. You would be needlessly disappointed, which would be a shame because this picture certainly has slightly above-average qualities.
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