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Visitors Review

Susan Granger 2013-05-15 09:49:30

It's a taut escapist tale - and not until afterwards do you realize how absurd the concept is with its contrived, clock-ticking deadline.

2013-05-14 19:59:51

A Ton of action in just 16 Blocks!

16 Blocks is an action packed thrill ride guaranteed to keep you on the edge of your seats,from the beginning to the end.It concerns the story of a washed up old cop named Jack Mosley(Bruce Willis).This is a beaten down man,with years of run of the mill details,with a career in stall and with a drinking problem.Just as Jack is about to book off after a long night at a baby sitting job at a crime scene,he is given a surprise detail.He is to take one witness ,Eddie Bunker(Mos Def),16 Blocks from the precinct to the courthouse,as the grand jury awaits his testimony.Before he goes too far, Jack pulls his car up to a local liquor store to grab a picker-upper and some Advil.Unbeknownst to Jack and his charge,both have been followed from the get go by assassins out to kill Eddie.While Jack is busy inside an assassin comes up to the rear window asking Eddie to put down the window but a cuffed Eddie can't comply.He pulls out his gun and a shot rings out.Jack has, by chance,come out and seen what was happening and has killed the assassin.However a remaining assasin opens up on them and they both barely manage to escape.They take refuge in a local bar Jack frequents and a call for back up goes in.Detectives arrive led by Frank Nugent played brilliantly and coldly by actor David Morse.All seems fine until we realize these cops are not the "marines" but the bad guys.We learn Eddie is to testify against said cops but they want Jack just to look the other way as they dispose of him.Before they can carry it out Jack intervenes and both he and Eddie are on the run from the bad cops and the rest of the NYPD.Their escape attempts take them into some of the most seedy places of New York,both low and high,with the bad cops on their heels every step of the way.The films keeps a relentless pace of tension throughout.Jack and Eddie get into some hair-raising and seemingly impossible escape situations and just barely manage to come out of them;and both receive gun shot wounds along the treacherous paths they must ineveitably follow.As the picture progresses more details of just how deep the corruption of the force is, are revealed.In the end we find out,to our surprise, that even Jack himself was deeply involved with the bad cops and that Eddies' testimony could have put him away with the rest.Jack had always looked the other way in the past,but seeing the mechanism of corruption up close and personal for the first time,it finally twigged his conscious and he couldn't ignore things any longer.Before he reaches the courthouse with Eddie,and after a smart exchange between ambulances,he lets Eddie go.He decides he will take his place.Eddie is free and Jack carries on to the courthouse and gets his evidence to the grand jury just barely before the 10 O'Clock deadline.This DVD is presented in the original theatrical version and also comes with a shot but never shown alternate ending.Both are great to have for comparisons sake,and both are equally compelling endings and make good fodder for discussion as to which is ultimately the more satisfying.The DVD also presents you with deleted scenes all with commentary by Richard Donner and his director.All in all this film is a VERY satisfying and tension filled thrill ride that shows you just how much excitment can be packed into a 16 Block radius,with the great talents of Willis,Def and Morse along to make it all happen as it should.

shaveman86 2013-05-14 03:33:20

An entertaining twist on a cliché story

I am a die hard Bruce Willis fan (no pun intended) and it certainlywasn't him or Mos Def that kept this movie from being spectacular.Bruce Willis gave a very good performance, despite the fact that hisrole closely represented the same character he played in "Sin City."Mos Def performed incredibly well. Certainly his best performance todate.The performances of both Bruce Willis and Mos Def are probably the onlyelement that kept this movie from completely bombing. Any other castand it would have been a flop (duh)."16 Blocks" is a great action movie if that's what your into. The way Ilike to put it however is it's a good "twist(s) on an already overdoneand cliché story line." I would go into further detail but I wouldn'twant to spoil it for all of you. With plenty of suspense there isn't adull moment that I can remember. This movie is definitely worth seeingif you like Bruce Willis or Mos Def. If not, then save your 9 bucks andrent a movie instead. If you are a Bruce Willis fan then maybe itsworth it. If you're only a Mos Def fan and don't like the Bruce manthen maybe the matinée price would better suit your tastes.Enjoy.

Sherazade 2013-05-13 16:00:32

Good Action film!

Bruce Willis, plays aging cop Jack Mosley whose conscience as well asliquor abuse keeps eating at with each passing moment (don't worry, hisobviously weighty past will later play a key part) in the scenes thatunfold when he is asked to transfer a bakery mongering jail bait namedEddie Bunker (played by Mos Def) from a holding cell to a court house16 blocks away. Bunker witness the shooting-death of a cop and is undersome sort of witness protection but the problem is that somebody fromthe inside is trying to get him. Willis then takes it upon himself toget to the bottom of the case when the transfer of the prisoner isbreached mid-way. Stunning action scenes and great acting on the partsof Def and Willis. David Morse, David Zayas, Robert Racki, Jenna Stern,and Sasha Roiz co-star in this action packed thriller.

shanepac19 2013-05-13 05:03:52

Terrible

While this movie was exciting enough to keep you watching, overall, itwas a disappointing mess of clichés. The drunk down-on-his-luck cop whorights the ship. The almost Buddha-like wisdom and observations of aregular guy who has struggled in life but just needs that helping hand.The cold and callous cop who doesn't mind killing as many people as hehas to in order to avoid getting in trouble. In the end, everyone ishappy. The only redeeming qualities about this movie was the fact thatI only paid 3$ to see it and that it gave me an excuse to drink(depression brought on by the fact that people like such terriblemesses).If you want a movie that goes bang and you don't have to think about,knock yourself out on this one.

Sorrel Jakins 2013-05-13 04:22:01

Nice.... but bad filming

I enjoyed the movie - the plot line has some twists and Bruce Willis isas good as ever. The only thing that spoilt the movie for me was the amateur filming -it looks at times as if the cameraman is holding a home movie camera.The swaying to and fro gives you the front row experience even if youare seated near the back.At one stage they are in a Chinese laundry and you find yourselfthinking about the drunken cameraman and not the story, to the pointwhere it gets confusing as to what is really happening. My recommendation is to wait for this movie to get to the dollartheaters or else wait until it comes out on DVD.This is not the only movie to suffer from this amateurish filming -what has happened to our standards of film-making? Pay the stars a bitless and the technical crew a bit more.

2013-05-05 09:21:17

Excellent Movie

You will not fall asleep watching this movie; It moves from the open scene 'till the finish. Action all the way.

lastliberal 2013-05-05 04:02:54

Not another Gauntlet

When I first read the description of this movie, my reaction wasnegative. I could not believe that they would try to remake TheGauntlet. Eastwood and Loke played the perfect parts of a story of aburned out cop trying to buck the odds and get a witness to thecourthouse. And where is the love interest in this one. Is Bruce Willisplaying a gay cop? But I was soon on the edge of my seat watching twoincredible performance. Willis was outstanding as a burned out cop.Perfectly believable. Mos Def was also outstanding as the pettycriminal who just wanted to open a bakery. At first I just wanted himto shut up! I expected Willis to slap him and say the same thing. Buthis patter grows on you and really contributed to the movie.Thius was certainly more believable than The Gauntlet. Doing it in 16blocks was better that traipsing across the Southwest. It still strainsthe possible, but it all comes together at the end with a surprise thatreally was innovative.Highly recommended, but do see the original, too.

2013-04-29 21:15:29

Mos Def's performance is great in this mind numbing formulaic cop film

Sometimes I like formulaic cop movies. They allow me to relax, not think too deeply, and not feel any real emotions. That's generally why I chose to watch this 2006 film, 16 Blocks. It's silly. There's a lot of guys shooting at each other. And I could be assured of a pleasant ending. Well, I didn't expect much from this film and I was definitely correct. I was mostly bored but kept watching anyway. I guess that's saying something about me. Anyway, Bruce Willis is cast as an aging cop with a drinking problem. He's supposed to take a prisoner to testify in front of the grand jury. It's only 16 blocks away and he has two hours to get there. Naturally, this is not as simple as it seems. Mos Def is cast as the prisoner and he's absolutely great in the part. He talks nonstop, tries to make jokes, expresses fear and surprise and every other emotion known to humankind. It's a truly great performance and he shines as at actor. It's just too bad that the plot is so convoluted that, after a while, all I could do was count the minutes till the end of the film. In addition to Mos Def's acting, another thing I did like about the film was the location and the cinematography. Many of the street scenes are shot in the downtown area near where I live and the film captured the Chinatown area with its narrow crowded streets perfectly. I've walked on these streets many times and during the summer tourist months the crowds are so thick that you can't help being in physical contact with the people walking next to you. Naturally, the chase scenes with this background were rather interesting. Basically, this film is a time waster and you have to be in the mood for it. I can't really recommend it unless you just want to veg out and be mindless for awhile. But that, I think, was what the filmmakers intended.

2013-04-29 14:04:24

16 Blocks

A troubled NYPD officer is forced to take a happy, but down-on-his-luck witness 16 blocks from the police station to 100 Centre Street, although no one wants the duo to make it. This movie has it's twists, turns and "on the edge of your seat" moments. Willis, as always, gives a first class performance. The chemistry between him and Mos Def (who really is turning into a very good actor)is great. This is a really entertaining movie.

krorie 2013-04-27 21:26:46

A few hair-pin turns before the 16 blocks are traversed

This is not a remake of "The Gauntlet," though the theme is a familiarone. There are, in fact, several movies with similar plots; "3:10 toYuma" and "Narrow Margin" come to mind. A reviewer emailed me that"Midnight Run" not only has a story like "16 Blocks" but Bruce Willis'character Jack Mosley has a name that is a composite of the movie namesfor two of the leading roles in "Midnight Run": Robert De Niro's JackWalsh and Yaphet Kotto's FBI Agent Alonzo Mosely. This, of course, maybe mere coincidence. Though the story may seem like déjà vu, the actionis fast paced making this an exciting film to watch.Anyone who doubts that Bruce Willis can act needs only watch hisstandout performance in "Pulp Fiction" to see what depth this actor canbring to a demanding role. The role of Jack Mosely may not bechallenging to Willis, but he still gives it all he's got which isplenty. Playing the part of an over the hill New York cop with a gameleg, nothing to live for, and a drinking problem seems easy for Willisto make it all believable.The criminal, Eddie Bunker, Jack must deliver to testify within acertain time frame is played with gusto by hip-hop artist Mos Def.Eddie is the most verbose prisoner ever. He rattles on and on aboutanything that comes to mind, some of it funny, some of it trite. Healso has a riddle that is not answered till near the end of the film.A standout performance is delivered by David Morse as the leader of thedirty cops, Frank Nugent. Morse is in danger of becoming typecast as adishonest lawman. I'm hopeful he will become more diversified in hisroles since he is such a talented actor.This is another winner from action director Richard Donner. If you likehis other successful concoctions such as the "Lethal Weapon" flicks,"Superman," "Conspiracy Theory," and "The Omen," then you willcertainly enjoy "16 Blocks."

2013-04-27 08:08:25

Excellent Movie

This review is from: 16 Blocks (Full Screen Edition) (DVD) You will not fall asleep watching this movie; It moves from the open scene 'till the finish. Action all the way.

Michael 2013-04-27 18:55:55

A Rough, Gritty Tale of a NY Cop...

16 Blocks resembles TV's "24" in many ways. It is a real time movie, it's rough, and it moves a fast pace. All of these are reasons I completely enjoyed this film. Bruce Willis returns to form as a tired, drinking cop who has had a really long day. Mos Def provides a great supporting role as a scared baker. The direction and visuals colaborated well in the New York backdrop and this film is easily one of the best popcorn matinee films I have seen this year. Overall, if you were a fan of Phone Booth, don't miss a block of this film.

2013-04-27 10:29:26

Decent entertainment

This review is from: 16 Blocks [HD] (Amazon Instant Video) An interesting part for Bruce; old, out of shape, alcoholic and just trying to skate by as a detective. Good action but nothing fancy. I enjoyed it as a decent evening's entertainment.

Neil Smith 2013-04-20 22:04:10

Fast-paced, tense and intermittently exciting, Donner's latest will keep genre fans engaged with its polished blend of tried and tested elements.

russem31 2013-04-20 11:47:44

Great film

I just saw Richard Donner's "16 Blocks' today and I found it one of themore refreshing films I've seen in recent memory. The aforementioneddirector Richard Donner (whose previous films I've enjoyed includingthe classic "Superman" and the "Lethal Weapon" movies) really knows howto bring out the best in his actors, including Bruce Willis in a superbperformance and Mos Def in a performance that could have been annoyingif done with a sub par actor (but because of this actor and thedirector, I actually FELT for this character by the end of the film,even bringing a good feeling to my stomach). This is a true gem, highlyrecommended to everyone - a solid 9 out of 10.

Joshua Starnes 2013-04-08 22:00:20

Told in nearly real-time 16 Blocks stops and starts, putting in buffers for decent character moments between Jack and Eddie. It's necessary to understand why they do what they do, but it makes what they're doing occasionally dull.

Ross Anthony 2013-04-08 20:01:07

At its heart, this is actually an excellent film. But, as filmmakers seek to escalate the big action, believability suffers severely.

Walter Chaw 2013-04-08 18:57:53

An ending so Pollyannaish that I expected a chorus of animated daisies to jump out of somebody's ***.

Josh Larsen 2013-04-08 02:46:35

There are at least 16 ways the pressure-cooker situation at the center of `16 Blocks' could be defused...