16 Blocks

Director: Richard Donner

Starring: Bruce Willis, Mos Def, David Morse, Jenna Stern

Ageing New York detective Jack Mosley (Willis) is a drained man; burnt-out, cynical and partial to a drink. Consequently, his ability to carry out police work is somewhat limited. So, when he is handed the seemingly innocuous task of transporting Eddie Bunker (Mos Def) to a grand jury hearing after his shift, he's not particularly pleased. However, as the courthouse is only 16 blocks away and the witness has to arrive within two hours, before the grand jury's term expires, logic suggests that that's plenty of time, even for someone as tired as Mosley. When Mosley makes a pit stop to "refuel" and returns to find someone about to kill Bunker, he realises that there are people who would rather the witness did not make it to testify. He calls his superior officer, Frank Nugent (Morse) for support, but finds himself embroiled in a ring of corruption and drug dealing within the department, and a race against time to deliver Bunker.

Director Richard Donner (the Lethal Weapon series, X-Men) makes a welcome return to the odd-couple buddy movie that he does so well, and he gets some great performances from his leading men. Bruce Willis fits the role of world-weary Mosley brilliantly, and although he is obviously the hero of the piece, he plays it in a much more understated manner than usual. In contrast, Mos Def puts in a wonderfully energetic character performance; he continually complains about his treatment, his life and the fate which awaits him, all the while portraying a child-like innocence and naivety.

Filmed in 24-esque real-time, 16 Blocks is a fast-paced, tense and exciting film not to be missed!

Alex Coe