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Bruce Willis is getting to be so identified with being a cop that I bet he could get any seat he wanted at Krispy Kreme during the morning rush on “Take a Cop to Breakfast” day. Or so it seems. But why fix something that isn’t broken? He’s believable. He plays real cops in all their foibles (does anyone ever use that word anymore?) and he does it with grace and intensity. And what the hell, I like it when he hits people on the head.
It doesn’t say much when a movie comes out in March, but don’t sell 16 Blocks short. You can’t go wrong with Willis in a cop role, and he hits a lot of people in this one.
If you can get beyond the annoying voice of Mos Def, you’ll be all right. Not to say he doesn’t do a good job, because he does. I like his character (thank the screenwriter) and he does all the heart-to-heart moments justice. But he chooses to do so with this really nasally voice, and it can grate on your nerves a mite. My wife turned to me just after ten minutes in and whispered, “I don’t think I can take that for two hours.” But she did, and we both appreciated that she has the patience of Job.
The movie is about a drunk down-and-out police officer (Willis) who gets the assignment to deliver a witness (Def) 16 blocks to the courthouse. The only problem is that all the other cops want the suspect dead. Havoc ensues, and Willis punches a lot of people in the head. (Also of note is David Morse as the bad guy. He’s great as always.)
Don’t confuse this movie with Dave Chappelle’s Block Party, which also came out at the same time. That would make this 16 Blocks Party—which would be a damn BIG party.
I think the real star of the movie is director Richard Donner. He takes a good script by Richard Wenk and he does a fantastic job with it. All the thrills are in the right place and the camera work is done in such a way that it enhances the movie and doesn’t give you the feeling of being done by an epileptic who couldn’t afford a SteadyCam and who loves a good close-up of an eye every three seconds. But I digress.
In the end, it’s about what you’d expect from a Richard Donner film with Bruce Willis in it. It’s pretty damn intense. Richard Donner is in true Lethal Weapon form here, and you won’t be disappointed. Also, if you really liked The Fifth Element in spite of Chris Tucker’s voice in that movie, then go see this movie. It’s worth it.
