Movie Review: 16 Blocks

16 Blocks

I like Bruce Willis, and have for years. But let's be realistic, folks: he's getting older and is no longer the action hero-type he was in the Diehard movies. After having recently seen Harrison Ford try to play younger than he is in the sub-par thriller Firewall, I wasn't hopeful for an action movie in which Willis played another cop. But as I said, I like Bruce Willis and so I gave it a shot. I'm pleased to report that 16 Blocks avoided the mistakes made by Firewall, and as at least partly as a result was a much better movie.

New York City Detective Jack Mosley (Bruce Willis) isn't anywhere near the cop he used to be. He's surly and inattentive. He's out of shape. And he drinks. A lot. But the brotherhood of men in blue does what it can to keep him from actively doing any harm even as it gives him make-work assignments to get him to retirement age and a full pension. That's how it is that Mosley, after a long night on the job, is given one last chore before he heads home for the day: He is to escort Eddie Bunker (Mos Def) a mere 16 blocks from the police station to the courthouse to testify before a grand jury.

It's only 8 o'clock in the morning, and Bunker doesn't have to be to the courthouse until 10:00 a.m. But Mosley is tired and wants to go home, and he's not thrilled with the last minute orders from his lieutenant. He heads immediately to holding to pick up his charge so that he can deliver the man to the assistant DA (Brenda Pressley) and go home sooner rather than later.

As it turns out, Bunker isn't just a petty criminal with a lengthy rap sheet. He's a non-stop and very annoying talker as well. Patience isn't Mosley's strong suit, so mere blocks from the station he stops at a liquor store to pick up a bottle to help him make it through the morning. As Mosley leaves the liquor store, bottle in hand, he draws his weapon and fires a deadly shot just in time to stop someone from killing Bunker as he cowers in the back seat of the police car.

Other cops arrive shortly thereafter to secure the scene, among them Mosley's former partner, Frank Nugent (David Morse) and several of his men. Strangely enough, Bunker reacts badly to seeing Nugent's crew and, before Mosley can do more than note the strange behavior, Nugent pulls him aside and explains the situation to him. It seems that Bunker is set to testify against a cop, and his testimony could bring down several other officers as well. Mosley listens while Nugent explains that it's important Bunker not testify, and that all Mosley needs to do is what he always does: walk away.

But as Nugent's men prepare to take Bunker down, Mosley discovers that he's not yet ready to give up the last shreds of the decent cop — or man — he used to be. With that decision, the race is on with one cop alone trying to get a witness safely into a courtroom while other cops are determined to do anything and everything they can to stop him from doing the right thing.

Bruce Willis actually looks much better in real life (at least according to magazine photos and TV interviews) than he does in this movie. Detective Mosley wears a weathered face and a bit of a pot belly, and he nurses a bum leg. But those handicaps of age limit what physical measures his character can take, and as such, Willis is more than capable of believably executing all of the action. And make no mistake — older actor or not, there's plenty of action to be had here! Added kudos go to Willis who's willing to appear unkempt for the sake of believability.

Mos Def, who first gained fame in the world of hip hop music, is a surprisingly capable actor. His fear is palpable under a veneer of sunny patter, and it takes a pretty good actor to convey such mixed emotions, something he does very well. David Morse is convincingly creepy as a cop whose blind pursuit of his own definitions of justice leads him to be at least as bad as the bad guys he's spent his career pursuing; supporting actors Casey Sander (who plays captain Gruber) and Jenna Stern (Diane) offer solid performances in limited roles.

Director Richard Donner (who brought us the underrated Timeline and the popular Lethal Weapon franchise) does a good job here of conveying the gritty world of cops, robbers, and New Yorkers who eke out a living day by day. The script, too, is good. Characters speak their lines naturally not only because the acting is good but because the lines are real and believable for their characters (something that's all too often lacking in more mediocre screenplays these days). Unfortunately, the suspense peaks below where it should, and the plot twists are marred by predictability in just enough instances to deflate the point of the surprise.

Perhaps the biggest problem is the fact that the movie takes place in real time, and there's just too much going on for the audience to buy into the timeline. That, in turn, takes away from the movie itself. That's too bad. 16 Blocks is pretty good, but it had the potential to be even better. As it is, if you're in the mood for a little mindless entertainment for a couple of hours, 16 Blocks will fill the bill. If you're looking for anything more, though, 16 Blocks falls just short of expectations.

POLITICAL NOTES: Aside from suggesting that people can and do change, the primary thrust behind 16 Blocks is that even good motivations don't excuse bad behavior. The bad cops in 16 Blocks have done things solely to bring bad guys to justice — or at least to bring those guys they think are bad to what they think is justice. In some cases, they're probably right. But that can't excuse violations of the Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Amendments, and the film makes that clear. Perhaps 16 Blocks should be required viewing for those in the current administration who seem to think that their motivations (prevent terorrism, fight the war on drugs, or support some other cause du jour) excuse warrantless wiretaps or other searches, censorship, serious violations of personal privacy, travel restrictions, and other infringements of freedom.

FAMILY SUITABILITY: 16 Blocks is rated PG-13 for "violence, intense sequences of action, and some strong language." I think that rating is just about right. Younger kids won't grasp some of the plot twists, but young teens will. And frankly, the violence is probably less intense here than it is in all too many video games today. Between the action, stars kids typically like, and the lessons offered up in a suprisingly palatable way, I can think of worse movies to let your kids see. In fact, you might want to see this one with them. It's not often you can have fun even while you're enjoying an on target ethics lesson!