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PRODUCER: |
Randall Emmett (Amityville Horror, Wonderland), Avi Lerner (Edison),Arnold Rifkin (Hostage, Tears of the Sun), John Thompson (Edison),Jim Van Wyck (Lethal Weapon 4, Conspiracy Theory), Bruce Willis(Hostage) |
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STARRING: |
Bruce Willis – Jack Mosley (Die Hard movies, Sixth Sense, The Fifth Element, Armageddon, Tears of the Sun, etc.) |
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16 Blocks stars the man himself . . . Mr. Sixth Sense, Mr. Die Hard, the real Mr. Demi Moore . . . Bruce Willis! . . . “Don’t Call It a Comeback!” . . . seriously, don’t call it a comeback . . . this movie is no comeback.
The first 20 minutes of 16 Blocks were setting the stage for this movie to become a classic, action-packed, blockbuster Bruce Willis film. Jack Mosely (Bruce Willis) is a washed-up, overweight, unmotivated, boozer cop whose only ambition is to find his next drink. With no one else around, his boss is forced to send Jack on a simple mission. Transfer a witness (Mos Def) from jail to court. He has two hours to take the guy 16 blocks to the courthouse. En route, everything changes when Bruce stops at one of his favorite liquor stores for a fix and leaves the witness in the car. Out of nowhere, bad guys ambush the car forcing Jack to snap out of his drunken trance and save the witness. On the run, Jack calls for backup only to discover his ex-partner turned dirty cop (David Morse) is leading the effort to kill the witness before he can testify and expose them. It’s at this point in the movie that the audience should get up, go get popcorn, make some calls and come back about five minutes before the end. Unless, that is, you want to sit through scene after scene of unimaginative, lackluster, and senseless content. The movie is redeemed a bit at the end when there is an unexpected twist that brings interest back to the story and reveals that some bad guys can become good and good guys aren’t always what they seem.
Although not the worse film ever, 16 Blocks may be the most disappointing. With a great concept and an even-better-than-usual performance from Bruce Willis, this movie initially smells like a blockbuster; as it turns out, though, it just stinks. While it undoubtedly pitched well to Hollywood executives, the filmmakers could not deliver a believable, entertaining storyline to get it from the great beginning to the thoughtful ending. And the Mos Def performance . . . are they serious? His character would best be described as an annoying mix of Flavor Flav and Rainman. Tragically, 16 Blocks may be the biggest letdown you can buy for the price of a movie ticket. |
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On the Movie Night Traffic Light on a scale of GREEN meaning “Go – it’s a must see”, YELLOW meaning “Caution – it’s okay” and RED meaning “No - stop don’t do it."
We rate 16 Blocks YELLOW. Caution – Bruce Willis’s great acting barely saves this movie from being a red, but the story is a huge disappointment. |
