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Movie Review - 16 Blocks (2006)
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(What this rating means)
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| Director: |
Richard Donner |
| Starring: |
Bruce Willis, Mos Def, and David Morse |
| Rated: |
PG-13 (for violence, intense sequences of action, and some strong language) |
| Length: |
105 minutes |
| Genre: |
Drama/Thriller |
| Tagline: |
For a New York cop and his witness, the distance between life and death just got very short. |
| Studio: |
Warner Bros. |
| Website: |
16 Blocks |
| Release: |
February 28, 2006 |
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PLOT
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Jack Mosley (Willis) is tired. Beleaguered. In dire need of a drink. Sort of a movie version of Ashlee Simpson's
publicist. Unfortunately, he is asked to complete one more task before going home. It's a seemingly simple one.
Petty criminal Eddie Bunker (Def) is supposed to testify before a grand jury. Mosley has 118 minutes to transfer
Bunker a mere 16 blocks from the jailhouse to the courthouse. It should only take him 15.
Of course, this would be a pretty boring movie if everything moved forward without a hitch. Therefore, enter
conflict. There are certain people who have reason to prevent Jack and Eddie from making it to court. What's
Jack to do? Is it worth risking his life for a career criminal? Should he abandon Eddie? Or does he feel an
obligation to do the right thing? A film with genuine conflict and character development ensues.
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JOHNNY'S TAKE
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"It's a nothing thing. 118 minutes to get a little hemorrhoid 16 blocks."
I remember the time my cousin had hemorrhoids and had to drive 16 blocks to the pharmacist to get some ointment.
He didn't have one of those little doughnut pillows to sit on. According to him, it certainly wasn't a "nothing
thing." But that's all irrelevant to this movie, isn't it?
Maybe. Maybe not. The point is we know when cops and the transferring of criminals are involved then
something is going to go wrong. It's not going to be a "nothing thing." But would we have it any other
way? Conflict is the backbone of 16 Blocks' effectiveness. Conflict and character development.
Jack Mosley is a bloodshot cop who reached his breaking point years ago. He's a man who firmly believes that
people can't change. Much like Ted Kennedy, all he wants to do is waste his time away behind a bottle just long
enough to collect a pension.
Eddie Bunker, on the other hand, is an eternal optimist. Yeah, he's had some minor run-ins with the law, but
mostly he's just managed to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. He wants to do the right thing. You put
the two characters together and what do you get? Another day older and deeper in debt? No, you get (let's all
say it together) - conflict. Very good.
It's not easy to completely remake a man over a period of about an hour and a half. Just watch Extreme
Makeover and you'll see what I mean. Jack is down and out, but the man hasn't been challenged in a
long time. Is there a spark still left in his aging body? Sometimes a person doesn't spring to life until
he is put to the test, right? When Jack is finally forced, under tremendous pressure, to make a decision and
act is when we get to see his true character.
The easiest thing for Jack to do is leave Eddie to fend for himself. And would you really blame him? Eddie
doesn't exactly make things easy on Jack. He can be annoying, and he seriously needs to learn when to
lower his voice or shut up, but Mos Def brings a unique element to the character. He's realistic, believable.
Eventually you can't help but like the guy, assuming you can get past the fact that he sounds like Homey the
Clown.
Another strongpoint is the conflict between Jack and his ex-partner Frank Nugent, played almost too effortlessly
by David Morse. Man, does Morse know how to nail the unlikable-yet-intriguing character or what? Both characters
think they're doing the right thing, and Willis and Morse are to be commended on making both points of view
somewhat understandable.
Unlike William Hurt in the overrated A History of
Violence, Frank isn't a stereotypical, mustache-twirling bad guy. He's a good cop who has done a lot
of really good things. The problem is that he's sincere when he tells Jack, "What lines? There are no lines.
There's gettin' it done and not gettin' it done." It's an attitude that has unfortunately led to some bad
decisions that mar the positives that he has achieved. But hey, that's cool because it also leads to *drum roll*
conflict! I'm sensing a theme here.
Frank's a smart guy who knows how to play with Jack's mind. He reminds him that he's protecting "a career
criminal." Why should he believe this kid over his ex-partner? After all, who is the one who has covered Jack's
back on more than one occasion? You think this may force Jack to deal with a little internal conflict over
what exactly is the right thing to do?
Another aspect that I really liked about 16 Blocks is how it throws us right into the middle of this
conflict (OK, I promise not to use the word any more in this review). In an effort to give this a gritty,
real-time feel, there aren't a lot cutaways or time lapses. We're presented with the situation and have no
choice but to watch it unfold.
Sure, 16 Blocks is a story about change and redemption, but no one is riding any high horses here. That
could be because none of the castmembers are as short as Tom Cruise, or maybe it's because Richard Donner knows
how to let a message unfold within the story and its characters without beating us over the head with self-appointed
superiority.
You may not get any Oscar nominations that way, but at least you present an entertaining film that the majority
of moviegoers will enjoy.
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ODDS & ENDS
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- Director Richard Donner comments on screenwriter Richard Wenk pitching the movie to him, "He came over to
my house and about five minutes into his pitch, I stopped him. I said to my wife, 'You've gotta come hear this.'
Richard pitched us the story and I knew right then and there: I want to direct this."
- For the climactic bus chase a stunt bus took three weeks to rig but only 40 minutes to demolish.
- A menthol tear blower was used on Bruce Willis to induce a bloodshot and watery look in his eyes for
close-ups.
- Willis placed a small stone under the arch of his right foot to give a realistic look to his character's
limp.
- David Morse was in The Rock with Bokeem Woodbine who was in All the Rage with Josh Brolin who was
in Hollow Man with Kevin Bacon.
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MAMA'S APPROVAL
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This isn't as profanity-laced as you might expect. David Morse does drop an "f" bomb on us (which gets a muffled
repeat as it's played back on a tape recorder), and a couple of G-d**ns and other salty selections are tossed our
way, but mostly it's surprisingly tame. No sex or nudity either. Nor is there an abundance of blood or violence.
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TRAILER COMPARISON
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This is one of those trailers that makes you think, "Hmm, looks pretty good. I just hope the movie delivers!"
Good news - it delivers.
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THE GIST
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If you're a fan of Bruce Willis or cat-and-mouse cop thrillers then 16 Blocks is tight, solid entertainment.
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