(non-spoiler review)
Mary and I took the day off yesterday to celebrate her birthday. Being a Bruce Willis fan, as I am myself, she chose to go see his latest offering, 16 Blocks. If you haven’t seen the trailers, 16 Blocks tells the story of an alcoholic, burnt out detective, Jack Mosley (Bruce Willis). Jack Mosley’s drunkeness has reduced him to an ineffectual officer who is given one last throw away assignment before his shift ends…to transport a witness, Eddie Bunker (Mos Def), 16 Blocks from the jail to the courthouse to testify to a grand jury whose term expires in two hours. On the way Mosley’s need to feed his addiction leads to a stop at a local liquor store. While inside there is an attempt on his witnesses’ life that ends when Mosley’s years of ingrained police training kick in and he shoots the intended killer. Quickly hiding out in a frequently visited bar Mosley calls for back up hoping that his work for the day is at an end. Unfortunately it turns out the Bunker is set to testify against a cop…a dirty cop who, if testified against, will out the other guys mixed up with him. Leading the crusade to do away with Bunker is Mosley’s former partner of 20 years, Frank Nugent (David Morse). Nugent hands Mosley a bottle and advises him to go home while they take care of business. And that is where the fun begins.
That part of the plot is essentially what you get in the trailer which gives the impression that 16 Blocks is another Bruce Willis action film in the vein of Die Hard. It is not. While there is plenty of action in 16 Blocks it is not an overblown, unrealistic action movie. 16 Blocks is more of a character study between Jack Mosley’s washed up, “life is too long” detective and Eddie Bunker’s incessantly optimistic “you can change” petty criminal. The bulk of the film is a drawn out chase scene that has a smoldering intensity that reminds me of The Fugitive though slightly toned down. The level of suspense in the film was just enough to keep me close to the edge of my seat. What makes this film better than your average chase movie is the dialogue between Mosley and Bunker. Mos Def plays Eddie Bunker as a nasal-toned, non-stop talker who at the beginning of the film is almost distractingly annoying. However, as was no doubt the intention of the film maker, Bunker’s manic speech pattern soon grows on you and you find yourself really rooting for him. You also know right from the beginning that Jack Mosley is not a good or particularly likeable detective but the way that Willis plays him you can see that there is still something noble under the surface and you root for him as well. And David Morse is simply excellent as the bad guy. His calm, “I’m in control” demeanor belies a very dangerous nature which creates a tension that you can feel in his performance.
Richard Donner, best known for his Lethal Weapon movies, directs 16 Blocks. He brings to the table an ability to direct a good action film while injecting humor and pathos into what is often a very cliched film genre. 16 Blocks is not as over-the-top as the Lethal Weapon movies. All the elements are the same but they are significantly dialed down for this film. Taking that edge off while maintaining the intensity of this film is what made it much more entertaining than I expected going in to the film. I knew I would like the movie simply because it was a Bruce Willis film but what I did not know is that I would enjoy it this much. This is one of the better Willis movies I have seen in awhile. Although Willis is set up to be the hero, 16 Blocks is not a one-man-against-the-world action film. He portrays Jack Mosley as a man who needs help to be what he once was.
The thing I enjoyed most about 16 Blocks was that because it wasn’t your run-of-the-mill action film with an obvious, upstanding hero I honestly did not know how this dark and gritty film was going to end…and I really enjoyed that fact. If you are a Bruce Willis fan, or if you miss one of the best television shows ever to be on the air, NYPD Blues, then I predict that you will enjoy 16 Blocks for what it is and will not be disappointed at the price of your movie ticket.
Don’t know when it’ll be released in France, but you make me want to see it!
We’ll have to see about renting this when it comes out.
I watched ALL of Fight Club last night with James. He’s been wanting to watch it with me. I figured out the twist in the very beginning when they were on the plane. Poor James.
I think I disappointed him! He tried to lie, but I suspected all along.
You probably heard too much about it being a twist-type movie. When I watched Fight Club, years after it came out, I had no idea it was anything more than a weird fight movie. I wasn’t watching for any twists and only caught on minutes before Edward Norton’s character did so I was BLOWN AWAY! Probably one of the most amazing movie watching experiences I’ve ever had. Glad you watched it anyway…did you keep your eyes open during the fight scenes?
I knew nothing about the movie, but James told me it has a surprise ending. I wasn’t
trying to figure it out. A different person kept briefly flashing onto scenes and he said he wished
he were a different person. He was obviously mentally troubled. Brad Pitt’s character was so very “mental”. I wished I hadn’t figured it out. I LOVE being surprised.
I loved fight club for the 180 switch, but I see it coming in movies now. BTW I saw Syriana Sunday night for free (thankfully). It was AWFUL!!! Hollywood MUST be desperate or it owes Clooney something because I was thoroughly disappointed. Horrible. I can’t believe Julie guessed it.
16 blocks sounds like quite the setup – drop any little plot bunny you can into the movie and watch the characters swim in it – i think i will rent this, mostly because i like bruce willis and mos def
as for fight club, i began to suspect the first time i watched and re-watching it, i don’t know how i missed it, except that i saw it in NY,NY when it first came out, i had seen maybe a preview – once and kind of thought of it as a boxing movie my brother was half-dragging me to – at least until the movie started – i agreed to go originally because of Edward Norton
There’s definitely nothing new about the plot for 16 Blocks…but that is true for most movies. It is mostly just enjoyable because it is Bruce Willis acting out the standard plot.
I am thankfully a stupid movie watcher, I am not wired to actually be thinking about what, etc., not even on a subconscious level. I just get carried along with the other characters. Occasionally it will dwan on me moments before it does the main character…that happened with Fight Club and Sixth Sense, but that is thankfully rare.
And rewatching those type of movies is always fun because they usually make it so very obvious and you feel a little bit silly for not figuring it out.
Watching it with Julie last night I was pretty shocked that I didn’t figure it out my first time either.
I think one of the reasons Julie firgured it out so quick is since Fight Club the whole multiple personalities thing has been used over and over again to the point of nausia.
Have you seen Secret Window? Oy, bleh!
Anyway, there are sooo many hints in Fight Club it’s ridiculous.
Secret Window sucked!
Fence, if you make it over here just wanted you to know that your blog won’t accept any of my comments.
cool.. i’ve been wanting to see this one
Our department head was just talking about this movie today. He really liked it, and somehow it’s managed to completely fly under my radar.
Secret window is the most cruel waste of great talent. Timing is everything in these kind of movies and I agree with James too many movies have the “Big Flip” and they’re easy to guess. Except The Village, it caught me off guard but I knew something was up.
I personally don’t get tired of things as long as they are well done. You could take almost any movie and find dozens and dozens of movies with the same hook…the same basic plot…etc…but as long as they are well done I’m okay with that. What I get sick of are movies that by all rights I should love, but the film makers didn’t take the time to use their money wisely and instead cranked out an absolute piece of crap…Aeon Flux is of course the most recent example of that for me.
Glad you all got away for the day and had fun. I think I would rather rent 16 blocks, too. We rarely get out to see movies so I have to choose really carefully what I want to see. One of these days. . .
I liked fight club. I don’t know why but I always think of the scene with the “fat”.
I think of that whenever I see bar soap, Karen! ugh!
James just doesn’t want to admit that I’m brilliant!
Ha,ha! You keep reminding him and eventually you’ll wear him down, Jules! 😉
I really liked 16 Blocks! It had a formula story, but I really loved the interaction with the characters. It was also a story of hope.
I can’t believe you guessed the Fight Club twist, Jules. Of course, I wasn’t told there was any twist, and so many movies have tried the twist since then. Then there is the fact of your complete brilliance and superior reasoning powers. 🙂