16 Blocks is the latest thriller from the man who gave us Superman and the Lethal Weapon films. This man is Richard Donner, who was once had an eye for exciting action and originality. With 16 Blocks Donner has made a film that has likeable characters, but poor action and a story that is put on the backburner. Mos Def stars as Jack Mosley, a man who is under police custody and has to be taken to a courthouse as a witness. In charge here is Bruce Willis who plays an aging cop that most certainly has a drinking problem.
For the most part, Willis and Def have a solid chemistry, they work well together. Def is a constant talking and annoying person to be around, but brings humor to the screen. Willis is well in control here, but the films problems has nothing to do with the actors, the problem is what the films avoids. 16 Blocks is a fast paced film that hardly takes its time to begin telling a story, its more interested in a wild ride. This is typical Hollywood in thinking the audience will appreciate that more than slowly creating suspense.
There is none of that in 16 Blocks. No suspense, no real thought on planning how to catch the corrupted cops, it just plays out as a run and hide game. Even with that at fault, this film is still entertaining up to a certain point. It decreases in entertainment value because we are experiencing the same again and again. Never does 16 Blocks seem to outsmart us, its predictable and doesn't pinch any nerves.
The screenplay for this film is basic and has many cliches. Instead of letting the audience learn the background on the characters, Writer Richard Wenk uses dialogue as a form of humor, although this is considered a more serious action thriller. The script is flawed, but contains dialogue that makes both of these characters likeable and form a bond. However, the film runs quickly and we hardly get the time to experience it. Its kind of when you want to talk to a person, but they have to catch a train in five minutes.
16 Blocks has its smart moments in which Def has to disguise himself and also when quick thinking needs to be involved. Def basically is one of the pluses in this film. This isn't Rush Hour though, 16 Blocks is an action thriller that aims higher, but ends up lower. This film truly thinks its smarter than it really is when it has a basic premise that has been rehashed in many versions throughout the years.
When it comes down to it, 16 Blocks has rental fare written all over it. This is the type of film you would want to rent when you have nothing to do. Its the type of film that is shown a lot on television because action has always been a demand for all movie fanatics. When Lethal Weapon was released it was a solid film that had Gibson and Glover top notch and Joe Peschi as comedy relief, much like Def here. Well, this is not Lethal Weapon. 16 Blocks is a film that wants to impress, but it feels like just the same old action thriller.
