Review of 16 Blocks (2006) by Ivan K — 05 Sep 2009

Richard Donner is the perfect director for this movie and makes a normally uneventful 118 minute trip of 16 blocks turn into a roller coaster ride of action, thrills, and nail biting drama. Instead of good cop crazy cop versus the heroine dealers, we get burnt out cop and a criminal versus very bad cops.

Great introduction. I always love the recorded messages for introductions. It isn't used often because of what it implies happens to the protagonist but it was nicely done here with the black and white scenes. Then the Besame song during the police raid was a nice touch. John Mclane er... Jack Mosley is truly a drunk, tired, broken-down New York detective that no one respects or believes in. You get a real feel for his depression when he tells Mos Def that "Life's too long and guys like you make it longer.".

The movie only settles down long enough for you to enjoy Mos Def's character and his seemingly nonstop chatter, which brings some levity to the movie in the sense that it lets you ease back into your seat just before the heart pumping action starts up again.

Mos Def steals the show and really develops Eddie Bunker, who wants to open a bakery should he survive this ordeal. David Morse plays the head crooked cop Frank Nugent, who used to be Jack's partner for 20 years. He always does a really good job as a villain because he brings a sharp, manipulative intelligence to the role. Throughout the movie, Frank tries to talk Jack into the easy way, the look the other way route. We discover that Jack has done this before and has been tired of the department for a while and finally discovers his backbone and chooses the right path, even though it is the hard one and even one that might end his life.

No matter which ending you choose to watch, it is a good movie with great actors, great plot, and great action. Movies of redemption are always fun to watch.