Judy Thorburn's Movie Reviews
16 Blocks
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- Category: Judy Thorburn
- Published on 26 October 2008
- Written by Administrator
Judy Thorburn
Bruce And Mos Go The Distance In "16 Blocks"
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A burnt out cop and a petty criminal are stuck together in a chase against time and a run for their lives in this new action packed thriller, with a twist from director Richard Donner who is back on track with his best film in years.
Bruce Willis plays Jack Moseley, fatigued, paunch-bellied, aged detective with a drinking problem and a pronounced limp. After being on duty all night, Jack is on his way out of the police station when suddenly he is given a last minute assignment. Jack’s task is to deliver a prisoner from jail to the courthouse with a promise that it would take no more than 118 minutes of his time to go the 16-block distance. What he soon finds out is that Eddie Bunker (Mos Def), the small time criminal he’s escorting, is a witness on his way to testify for the District Attorney against some crooked cops, and that no way is this going to be a routine and easy drop off.
Eddie, with a most annoying voice that sounds like Mike Tyson, has diarrhea of the mouth. His constant rambling, along with bumper-to-bumper city traffic gets a bit too much for Jack that he pulls over to get a bottle of liquor, not realizing he is being followed by two hit men in a van. On his way out of the store, Jack discovers a guy with a gun is trying to get Eddie to open the car window. A shootout ensues followed by a car chase, which sends Jack and Eddie inside a bar where they seek refuge. Before long Jack’s former partner of 20 years, Frank Nugent (David Morse, in dependable mode) and a couple of fellow detectives show up, with Frank laying down details about why he is after Eddie explaining that his testimony about police corruption would ruin the lives of, what he calls, good men including himself. In an effort to stop Eddie, an elaborate plan to first frame and then eliminate him is set in motion. Only Jack refuses to be part of the scheme, choosing to protect Eddie and do the right thing by getting him to the grand jury in time before their tenure is up.
What sets this film apart from being another action filled cat and mouse chase or bad cop versus good cop story is the interesting character study of two mismatched men, Jack and Eddie, polar opposites who share a similar goal; committed to doing something right for a change. Eddie has dreams of opening a bakery in Seattle, where his sister lives and Jack has a chance to turn his life around. Underrated actor Bruce Willis gives a strong performance staying focused as a down on his luck, deteriorating soul in need of redemption. Co-star Mos Def (Hitchhicker’s Guide…) adds another impressive role to his resume with this turn as a colorful, likeable loser, regardless of that annoying vocal inflection. Both actors are well cast and offer natural interaction.
Audiences looking for action get their fill with a tense pursuit by the cops that takes Jack and Eddie through traffic jams, the inevitable explosive car crashes, by foot on rooftops, through Chinatown laundries, restaurants and in an old man’s apartment and what looks like a hostage situation in a city bus filled with passengers.
While there are a few problems here and there with the evolving plot and a couple of slow spots, on the whole director Donner delivers a sharp, mostly well-paced story that winds up with a satisfactory conclusion. To sum the portrayal by the leading stars that seem fitting considering their names; if there is a Willis, there is a way and although Mos is Def, he certainly isn’t dumb.