Film Review: 16 Blocks (2006) C-

Date Viewed: 11/01/06
Venue: DVD






16 Blocks is a moderately entertaining cop action drama that has some old-school flair but suffers from some lame characters and a high level of improbability.

Bruce Willis stars as a washed up, alcoholic New York cop (gee, that doesn’t sound a think like John McClane, does it?) who is tasked with the protection of a small-time crook-turned star witness (portrayed by rapper-cum-thespian Mos Def). Willis’ task is simple; he must escort the endangered criminal 16 blocks to a courthouse to give his testimony against a ring of dirty cops.

The first forty-five or so minutes of 16 Block aren’t that bad. You feel a building bond between Willis and Mos Def as they come to believe that no one really wants them to make it to the courthouse alive. Attacked by thugs and later dirty cops (conveniently including Willis’ ex-partner, played by David Morse), the duo strives to stay off the streets and stay alive.

However, the film comes off the rails about halfway through with just too many improbable situations. With scenes likely taken from an unused script for Lethal Weapon 5, our pair manages one impossible escape after another in a clear case of our scribe writing himself into corners. Add to that a disproportionably sappy character resolution, and you’ve got some major problems.

16 Blocks isn’t the worst buddy-cop movie made, it’s just pretty mediocre. Mos Def, who I usually find to be a capable thespian, turns in a character that’s god-awfully simple-minded and borderline retarded sounding. His grating performance coupled with the film’s bigger story problems make it a miss for me.