Time: 102 Minutes
Age Rating: M – Violence & offensive language
Cast:
Bruce Willis as Detective Jack Mosley
Mos Def as Edward “Eddie” Bunker
David Morse as Detective Frank Nugent
Jenna Stern as Diane Mosley
Casey Sander as Captain Dan Gruber
Cylk Cozart as Detective Jimmy Mulvey
Director: Richard Donner

I really didn’t know much about 16 Blocks, I just knew that it was a Bruce Willis action movie directed by Richard Donner. It didn’t seem to be the best received movie, but I thought I would check it out, hoping to get some entertainment out of it. It was actually better than expected.

The premise is very familiar: Bruce Willis plays a cop who has to protect someone, and the plot is very cliched and plays out like a conventional action thriller. It is stripped down and straightforward, taking place across one day and putting the protagonists in tough situations, and is effective as such. The plot is semi interesting and it even takes its time with the characterisation, mainly with its leads.

Bruce Willis did gain something of a reputation for giving underwhelming performances in generic action movies. His 16 Blocks character on paper sounds like a typical Willis character, an washed up alcoholic cop reluctantly pulled into doing a job. So it’s surprising that it’s actually a really good performance. Willis is committed and he’s surprisingly somber, a very different performance than say John McClane. Mos Def plays the person that Willis needs to protect, as well as the film’s fast talking comedic relief. He might be a bit annoying for some, and for me he was a little grating. Despite all that, as it progresses he feels very authentic and sincere, and ends up becoming the movie’s heart. Willis and Def also play off each other really well. Other supporting actors like David Morse work well too.

Richard Donner’s final film is far from his best, but it was still well made. The action is very enjoyable and tense, Donner is really good at this.

16 Blocks is a pretty familiar and cliched but nonetheless entertaining and tense action thriller, with some good performances and enjoyable action sequences.