16 Blocks (2006)
TOMATOMETER
AUDIENCE SCORE
Critic Consensus: Despite strong performances from Bruce Willis and Mos Def, 16 Blocks is a shopworn entry in the buddy-action genre.
16 Blocks Videos & Photos
Movie Info
A hard-drinking, hard-living cop assigned the task of transporting a small-time criminal to the nearby courthouse finds that a simple, 16-block drive can be the longest ride of his life in director Richard Donner's urban action thriller. Hung-over, has-been cop Jack Mosley (Bruce Willis) has seen better days, and all that the force expects out of him these days is to stay out of trouble while he's on the clock. Eddie Bunker (Mos Def) is set to testify before a grand jury at 10:00 a.m., and it's … More
| Rating: | PG-13 (for violence, intense sequences of action, and some strong language) |
| Genre: | Drama, Action & Adventure, Mystery & Suspense |
| Directed By: | Richard Donner |
| Written By: | Richard Wenk |
| In Theaters: | Mar 3, 2006 Wide |
| On DVD: | Jun 13, 2006 |
| Box Office: | $36.9M |
| Runtime: |
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Cast
as Jack Mosley
as Eddie Bunker
as Frank Nugent
as Diane Mosley
as Capt. Gruber
as Jimmy Mulvey
as Robert Torres
as Jerry Shue
as Touhey
as Ortiz
as Kaller
as Maldonado
as Deputy Commissioner ...
as Mike Sheehan
as Ray Fitzpatrick
as Cannova
as Pederson
as Briggs
as ADA MacDonald
as Sam
as Gracie
as Holding Cell Officer
as Lieutenant Kincaid
as Holding Cell Prisone...
as Chinese Man
as Chinese Wife
as Man With Caddy
as Russian
as Dominic Forlini
as Bus Driver
as Little Girl On Bus
as ADA's Detective
as Carl-EMT
as UPS Delivery Man
as DA's Clerk
as Restaurant Owner
as Diane's Boyfriend
as Restaurant Waitress
as Bus Passenger
as Bus Passenger
as Bus Passenger
as Bus Passenger
as Bus Passenger
as Bus Passenger
as Communications Tech
as MTA Cop
as Court Officer
as Court Officer
as Court Officer
as Court Officer
as Brad-EMT
as Asian Shop Owner
as The Juror
as Man In Suit
as Car Key Detective
as Subway Commuter
as Subway Commuter
as Subway Commuter
as Subway Commuter
as Russian
as Bus Passenger
as Woman In Apartment
as Man In Gray Suit
as Eddie Bunker
as Asian Shop Owner
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LoginCritic Reviews for 16 Blocks
All Critics (163) | Top Critics (42) | Fresh (88) | Rotten (71) | DVD (22)
A happier surprise is the smart work of director Richard Donner: 16 Blocks is all jumble and jangle-crowds, snarled traffic, and discordant car horns.
Clunky, solid, enjoyable.
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.
16 Blocks is a good watch thanks to the performances of Bruce Willis and Mos Def.
B-movie done with shrewd aplomb
At its heart, this is actually an excellent film. But, as filmmakers seek to escalate the big action, believability suffers severely.
Audience Reviews for 16 Blocks
Broken down, washed up alcoholic police detective Jack Mosley is given the mundane task of escorting a witness 16 blocks from the precinct to the courthouse, and is given about 118 minutes to complete the job. Things don't go as planned, and prove far from easy however, as a legion of crooked cops want the witness dead, and will not stop until that happens.
Essentially this is just a contemporary update of the Eastwood film The Gauntlet, and, despite it being rather generic, formulaic, and predictable, I still enjoyed it, had a good time, and found enough stuff to like to give it a recommendation. I'm giving it an extra half star (basically a barely made it B-) because I dug the character interactions, and appreciated that this wasn't entirely an over-the-top action fest.
Willis is pretty decent as basically an older, more human, more vulnerable, less wisecrackin' John McClane and he conveys the feelings of regret, depression, and being burnt out very well. As the witness Eddie Bunker (named after real life criminal turned actor Edward Bunker) Mos Def is a mumbling motormouth, and he seriously spends almost all of his screentime talking nonstop, and, despite being rather annoying, he didn't come off as grating like the types of characters Chris Tucker plays, and he is also somewhat likeable. David Morse is less developed and fleshed out in his role as Mosley's former partner/the chief antagonist, but he does okay.
The movie is lacking a super strong plot (as far as the specifics and motivations go), but the performances and character interactions are good, the action is fine, and it's never boring. Give it a watch, like as a rainy day boredom sort of thing.
Super Reviewer
A not-bad but not-good thriller somewhat spoiled by they ultra-annoying Mos Def. Who thought it was a good idea for him to spend the entire movie trying to do an Eric Cartman impression?
Super Reviewer
I think this movie has been overlooked. Nobody talks about it, when they should be, because for whatever purpose this movie has going for it, it makes it's mark with flying colours!
Super Reviewer
16 Blocks Quotes
| Frank Nugent: | You can't be lucky all the time... |
| Eddie Bunker: | But you can be smart everyday. |
| Jack Mosley: | I believe life's too long. |
| Frank Nugent: | Fuck the truth! |
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