Directed by Richard Donner (SUPERMAN, LETHAL WEAPON), 16 BLOCKS is a tale of corrupt police officers, a Grand Jury witness, and one cop who is trying to do the right thing. Jack Mosley (Bruce Willis) is weary. A lame leg and a love affair with alcohol make him a virtual joke at the NYPD. Tired and ready to head home, Mosley is assigned one last job before he can punch out: pick up petty thief Eddie Bunker (Mos Def) in lock-up and transport him to the courthouse where he is set to testify before the Grand Jury. Only 16 New York City blocks separate the two, but it might as well be a million miles. Soon, the officer and his charge find themselves under fire, becoming the target of someone who wants to keep Bunker from testifying. Escaping the initial attack, Mosley calls for backup only to discover that corrupt police officers, including his ex-partner Frank Nugent (David Morse), want Bunker out of the picture.
Mosley surprises everyone--maybe even himself--by doing the right thing and saving Bunker from certain death. With only 118 minutes to get the witness to the courthouse before the case will be thrown out, Mosley pulls out every trick in the book. He maneuvers Bunker through the crowded, confined streets of Manhattan's Chinatown towards their destination, trying to avoid the police officers who are hunting them down as they race against time. Willis fully inhabits Mosley, a washed-up cop who is haunted by his past decisions, and Mos Def is right on target as Bunker, a chatty career criminal being hunted just as he is ready to turn his life around and make something of himself.
Theatrical Release: March 3, 2006
HD-DVD Features:
Elite Red HD Case
Widescreen - 2.40
SIDE A (HD-DVD):
Audio:
Dolby Digital Plus Surround Sound 5.1 - English, French (Quebec)
Subtitles - English SDH, English, French, Latin Spanish - Optional
SIDE B (DVD):
Audio:
Dolby Digital Surround Sound 5.1 - English, French (Quebec)
Subtitles - English, French, Latin Spanish - Optional
Additional Release Material:
Trailers - 1. Theatrical Trailer
Featurettes - 1. Alternate Ending - "Viewable Separately and Incorporated into the Film"
Commentaries - 1. Deleted Scenes with Optional Director/Screenwriter Commentary
Distributor Notes: 16 Blocks
An aging cop is assigned the ordinary task of escorting a fast-talking witness from police custody to a courthouse. There are however forces at work trying to prevent them from making it.
Source: Warner Home Video
Director of Photography
Glen MacPherson: Director of Photography
Executive Producer
Arnold Rifkin: Producer
Executive Producer
Boaz Davidson: Israeli director, screenwriter, producer
Executive Producer
Dan Dimbort: Executive Producer
Executive Producer
Trevor Short: Executive Producer
Production Designer
Arv Greywal: Production Designer, 16 BLOCKS (2006)
Costume Designer
Vicki Graef: Costume Designer
Review 1:
"Bruce Willis gives his best performance in years -- his acting has a lived-in authenticity that pairs up beautifully with his still-potent star power."
Source: Rolling Stone
p.74-75 03/23/2006
Review 2:
3 stars out of 5 -- "The action sequences are adept and the leads likeable..."
Source: Total Film
p.48 06/01/2006
Review 3:
"That 16 BLOCKS more readily evokes the likes of SERPICO and PRINCE OF THE CITY, both directed by Sidney Lumet, is indicative of a more mature approach to the themes of police corruption and personal redemption."
Source: Sight and Sound
p.70 06/01/2006
Review 4:
3 stars out of 4 -- "[A] well-acted thriller about life on both sides of the thin blue line."
Source: Rolling Stone
p.79 06/29/2006
Review 5:
3 stars out of 4 -- "Def's jittery ramblings provide the zing and Donner deftly handles the action sequences..."
Source: Uncut
p.126 09/01/2006