Where to watch 16 Blocks
4 Stars
Jack Mosley, a burnt-out detective, is assigned the unenviable task of transporting a fast-talking convict from jail to a courthouse 16 blocks away. However, along the way he learns that the man is supposed to testify against Mosley’s colleagues, and the entire NYPD wants him dead. Mosley must choose between loyalty to his colleagues and protecting the witness, and never has such a short distance seemed so long…
16 Blocks is a superior action thriller that ranks among the best films of 2006. The film also, sadly, represents the last great movie from Richard Donner. It is also Willis’ last great performance. Sure, 2007’s Live Free or Die Hard was a bigger spectacle and offered more bang for your buck. Yet, 16 Blocks was the final time Bruce Willis portrayed a fictional character that I had an emotional connection to. The acting is superb all around. Mos Def is a real surprise, and the always reliable David Morse plays a logical and dangerous villain who must be outsmarted.
There is a shot about 20 minutes into the film; it’s when Willis’ character shoots an attacker, which uses a flipped perspective that ends with a slow-motion 360-degree pan. This is an expertly executed sequence that displays the muscular filmmaking style of Dick Donner. Richard Wenk’s script is beautifully translated from page to screen by the actors and the creative teams behind the camera. 16 Blocks looks effortless, despite the perpetual exhaustion of Willis’ character, and that comes from the perfect marriage of material, cast, and director.
Directed by: Richard Donner
Written by: Richard Wenk
Starring: Bruce Willis, Yasiin Bey, David Morse