16 Blocks.

Review #1542: 16 Blocks.

Cast: 
Bruce Willis (Det. Jack Mosley), Mos Def (Edward "Eddie" Bunker), David Morse (Det. Frank Nugent), Jenna Stern (Diane Mosley), Casey Sander (Capt. Dan Gruber), Cylk Cozart (Det. Jimmy Mulvey), David Zayas (Det. Robert "Bobby" Torres), Robert Racki (Det. Jerry Shue), Patrick Garrow (Det. Touhey), and Sasha Roiz (Det. Kaller) Directed by Richard Donner (#075 - Scrooged, #355 - Lethal Weapon, #356 - Lethal Weapon 2, #547 - Superman, #619 - Maverick, #731 - Lethal Weapon 3, #734 - Lethal Weapon 4, and #1452 - The Omen)

Review: 
"I think as filmmakers, we all kind of reflect who we are, what we stand for, how we treat the whole relationship of motion pictures. My wife is a really great producer, and she always says to me, when you’re making a movie, and you’re hiring the director, invariably, the director’s personality comes across on the screen."

Perhaps the saying that goes right with this film is that some old habits die hard, particularly when it comes to prominent actors or directors. This is the 20th feature film directed by Donner (and first since Timeline three years prior) and as of now is his last effort as director. This is the third writing effort of Richard Wenk (Vamp (1986) and Just the Ticket (1998), which he also directed) with the original intent of also taking on directing before Donner became interested in doing the film himself. What better pairing for an action thriller than usual favorite Willis, child-actor-turned-rapper Mos Def and Morse (best known for St. Elsewhere and various character roles)? Sure, why not a film about keeping time and focus on just a few characters. Of course the film has also been compared to Clint Eastwood's The Gauntlet (1977), which from a description I read about the film involved a weary cop trying to escort a witness (a prostitute, who he falls for) to survival while dealing with trouble from cops (hence a "gauntlet" of them). I don't know if that film has its own shuffling of clichés like this film does, but then again one wonders when they will get tired of cop movies like if the talent doesn't live up to standard. But there's a simple fact that remains when it comes to films in the 20th or 21st century: it may be familiar in the faces or some of its story beats, but I generally found this to be a decent experience, one that hits the right boxes with a charming enough main trio and enough competent moves to justify its 102 minutes despite being one of Donner's most average works.

One starts easily with Willis, who certainly has had quite a progression of curiosity and charisma since his days of Moonlighting and Die Hard in the 1980s. He eventually progressed to a version of the weary cop routine in Die Hard with a Vengeance (1995, a film that either ranks as the best sequel to the original or as the silliest) and other various roles that make for an interesting way to age as an actor, which when given focus can result in something interesting. In this sense, he seems to be having a good time in making a weary role like this work with conviction. He moves on the edge with burnout that nevertheless is easy to go along with without falling into disrepair. Def (who had a few supporting roles in films like Bamboozled (2000) and Monster's Ball (2001) alongside TV work) follows along with another cliché as the motormouth accomplice, but this works itself out in that Def actually proves himself quite well in making a rapport with Willis stick with care and honesty that make a few worthy barbs and other moments that help to sell a film about trying to make change in their life stick. Morse proves a worthy enough adversary (or at least one that follows the idea of a person that we can at least believe thinks they are right without dismissing it immediately) in carefully-planned menace that generally keeps things rolling in pursuit that sells himself well without having to ham things up or become an action cliché to be ignored. On the whole, the film moves along with a reasonable pace and handling of its characters with enjoyment and patience that tries to find itself out of the muck of the genres it is in alongside burst of sentiment and just ekes out safely with at least some basic satisfaction. For me, I thought it was a fine movie, wrapped in a degree of familiarity that will either make for an alright time or will just hamper it in mediocrity. Whatever works best is the way to go, I would say.

Overall, I give it 7 out of 10 stars.