16 Blocks (2006)

[trekgeezer]

After a night guarding a crime scene Detective Jack Mosley (Bruce Willis) is given the assignment of delivering a prisoner named Eddie Bunker (Mos Def) to the courthouse 16 blocks away to testify in front of a Grand Jury.

Jack is an old, world weary, alcoholic  cop with a bum leg and big paunch. Eddie is an annoying little petty criminal with ambitions of opening a bakery in Oregon. Their lives become entwined when Jack stops an attempt on Eddie's life. Seems there are a lot of dirty cops that don't want Eddie to testify.

This is a pretty straight forward cop drama, but with a few unexpected turns. Willis does an excellent job as the sad sack Det. Mosley (proving once again he has some acting chops). Mos Def does a good job as Eddie, but for some reason he adopted a nasal whiny voice the character that had me wishing Willis would plug him to shut him up. He does manage to make the character sympathetic even if he does talk to much.

Like I said this a pretty straight forward story, but done very well under the direction of Richard Donner.

Definitely worth watching .

[Yaddo 42]

I saw this at the second run theater and was so unmoved that I had honestly forgotten I saw it until I almost picked it up at the video store.

Good characters in search of a better story. The big "twist revelation" at the climax underwhelmed me since I kept wondering if the character wasn't inclined to have been apart of those things at some time in the past why would he have had a history with the people he did.

Also I know Jack's old partner knew him well enough to know he thought and acted put I wish they had shown more of him figuring things out rather just showing up one step ahead of him so often. Those "There you are, Jack." moments got old after a while. They could have played up the cat and mouse chase aspects more to my taste. Willis can play broken down, disolute, self-doubting types in his sleep. the Mos Def character worked better in small doses since he got on Jack's nerves every time he opened his mouth and more of him just got on the viewer's nerves.

[Neville]

This movie has a terrific start, but then sort of loses its way. the whole stuff with the bus was way over the top, and the ending wasn't very convincing. But I have to admit I didn't expect Richard Donner to be in such a good shape, and the performances are much better that I expected. I plan to give it another chance soon.

[Ash]

I saw this and thought it was pretty good.

Be sure to watch the alternate ending where Bruce Willis dies.



(and I wonder if the porno gangbang version of this movie, "16 Cocks" has come out yet?)