16 Blocks (2006)

Directed by: Richard Donner | 105 minutes | action, thriller, crime | Actors: Bruce Willis, Mos Def, David Morse, Jenna Stern, Casey Sander, Cylk Cozart, David Zayas, Robert Racki, Jerry Shue, Patrick Garrow, Steve Nuke, Sasha Roiz, Conrad Pla, Hechter Ubarry, Richard Fitzpatrick, Peter McRobbie

Jack Mosley has nothing to lose, not even his sense of honor. His drinking has made him a Swieber-like figure, who even during house searches scours the cupboards looking for a drink. His colleagues let him do it. So much for the NYPD ethics…This guy is supposed to guide us through ’16 Blocks’, but he fascinates from the start. Finally a strong Bruce Willis in a three quarters good and exciting police thriller.

Hollywood’s astonishing ability to almost kill a beautiful, expensive production with clichés at the end plays tricks on ’16 Blocks’, but then we have already enjoyed ourselves a lot, especially by Willis and Mos Def as original and surprising couple . The unpredictable and sometimes unfathomable rough shell Mosley terrifies the charming speech waterfall Eddie Bunker; yet there is chemistry. What do you want: they need each other to survive. They have to go to court to report the agents who want to kill them both for that reason. Strong, because that gives both a license to defend themselves against the same police force and the makers a nice starting point to let good and evil loose on each other under time pressure.

Most of ’16 Blocks’ is about the above battle, which extends into the cafes, sewing studios and living rooms of Chinatown. The image Richard Donner paints of the NYPD is that of a morally dilapidated institution, where only the law of the fittest – read the gun – applies, personified by the unscrupulous Frank Nugent (David Morse), Mosley’s former buddy. Donner combines that with impressive action and shrewd Houdini acts, which could have made this film one of the top hits of the year. The denouement unfortunately goes a step too far, with a hijacked regular bus in the streets of Manhattan (not again) and – sigh – feel good. Not necessary and don’t do it anymore. Anti-heroes should remain that way, even if the public prefers to bake sweet cakes according to market research. Still worth a look? Yes. Especially by Willis – how old and good he is.