Bruce Willis, Mos Def, David Morse

Jack Mosley is a broken-down NY detective assigned to escort a petty criminal from the precinct to the courthouse. The seemingly simple 16-block journey becomes a test of character for them when Jack...( read more  read more... )'s ex-partners attempt to stop them. It's the story of how two men change each other during a tense 110-minute struggle between life and death.

Flixster Users

62% liked it

145,213 ratings

Critics

56% liked it

156 critics

PG-13, 1 hr. 45 min.

Directed by: Richard Donner

Release Date: March 3, 2006

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DVD Release Date: June 13, 2006

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Stats: 6,635 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (6,635)


  • September 21, 2009
    Not great but not awful. I expected more from Richard Donner though!
  • January 6, 2009
    This is one of Bruce Willis' finest films yet. He plays a tired old cop who is handed the menial task of driving Mos Def, a criminal, who has to testify in court. Little does he know, he winds up running into very much trouble. Although one might think that this movie cannot be s...( read more)uspenseful because it takes place within the radius of 16 blocks, many twists and turns occur which make it very interesting.

    Mos Def also delivers an outstanding performance through the use of his accent and his hilarious anecdotes throughout the movie. He adds a lot of depth to his character and to the movie as a whole. Thus, the audience is able to sympathize with him. Overall, this movie was excellent and I would highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys a great fast paced thriller
  • October 28, 2008
    Jack Mosley: [tape recording] "This is Detective Jack Mosley, Shield number 227. I guess this will be my last will and testament. This is for Diane. Now, they're gonna come talk to you and they're gonna tell you things. But what they tell you isn't really what happen. So Diane...( read more), I think you should know what really happened. I was trying to do a good thing."

    All he wanted to do was go home and get a drink.

    But at 8:02 a.m., hungover NYPD detective Jack Mosley (Bruce Willis) is assigned a seemingly simple task. Petty criminal Eddie Bunker (Mos Def) is set to testify before a grand jury at 10:00 a.m. and needs to be taken from lock-up to the courthouse, 16 blocks away. It should take Jack 15 minutes to drop him off at the courthouse and get home.

    But when assassins try to take Eddie out, Jack realizes there's more to this assignment than he'd anticipated and he calls for backup. Homicide detective Frank Nugent (David Morse) and his team are first to arrive at the scene. Eddie suddenly goes pale. One of the detectives on Nugent's team is the man he is supposed to testify against. In an instant, Jack's quick trip downtown turns into the nightmare of a lifetime: the criminals that want Eddie dead are actually cops.

    16 Blocks is right up Richard Donner's alley, the helmer of the Lethal Weapon franchise so its no surprise that he nailed this film from the get-go. This time however, there's no buddy cops and psychopathic albino jack rabbits involved, its only a man and his prisoner against a hundred renegade NYPD cops. The man, Jack Mosely is portrayed by Bruce Willis, the everyman hero who is assigned a seemingly easy task that turns awry in a quick second, it is no doubt that Bruce has mastered the role of being a cop well with the success of the Die Hard saga and a couple of stand alone cop roles in some other films. The only thing that's different from his other cop roles is that he's not bald. Bald or not bald, he still kicks ass.

    The prisoner, Eddie Bunker is portrayed by Mos Def, a surprising turn from the rapper but effective nonetheless. The plot is an amazing thrill ride with the perfect combination of action and suspense and a couple of mild comedy here and there. It is a tense ride from start to finish and you will not be disappointed.
  • August 10, 2008
    dunno why mos def talks like that, but it did add to the simple nature of the character... who only wants to bake cakes
  • July 20, 2008
    It's a pulse-pounding non-stop thrill-ride. A tremdendously entertining action-packed thriller. It packs suspense and excitment into one leathal dosage. Bruce Willis gives a great and sensational performance. Mos Def is teriffic. David Morse is brilliant. They definately have a c...( read more)hance to shed some light on their characters. An unstoppably tension-filled, fast-paced and excellently executed thriller. It's 24 meets The Gauntlet. A total knockout. An unforgettable adreniline-fulled chase. A unique, smart and slick action film thats complex, tense, thrilling, character-driven and exhilerating.
  • November 13, 2009
    Good Movie, I don't know what all the commotion is about but the movie is pretty good. Not an Excellent movie though, I'll give it a C
  • November 8, 2009
    Pretty good thriller, with a great twist for an ending.
  • October 21, 2009
    i love all bruce willis movies!
  • October 18, 2009
    Doing the right thing might not always be the easiest route, but it pays off - somehow. The ending brought a tear to my eye. Great acting. Major Mos Def fan!
  • September 23, 2009
    not the best of Bruce Willis, and he seems to be playing the part of a tired, aged, out-cast detective way too often. Not horrible, but it didn't blow me away, not even one block.

Critic Reviews


May 12, 2006
David Edelstein, New York Magazine

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. full review

March 31, 2006
Kurt Loder, MTV

Mos Def ... truly shines. When he subtly shows us the flickers of fear
licking around the edges of his funny, non-stop monologue ... he's a man
in touch with a talent that should take him far. full review

March 9, 2006
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

Willis and Def -- funny even if he overdoes the whiny shrieking -- are a terrific team. full review

March 3, 2006
Moira MacDonald, Seattle Times

Hiding among all the uniforms and bullets, it turns out, is an actors' movie, and two actors more than capable of hitting their marks. full review

March 3, 2006
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle

Another urban action thriller that's better than some, worse than most and so forgettable that it's possible to forget it while watching it. full review

March 3, 2006
Amy Biancolli, Houston Chronicle

Its dialogue is sassy, its plotting is taut (maybe too taut, as key segues are AWOL), but 16 Blocks has more on the brain than mere distraction. It aims to save souls. full review

March 2, 2006
Stephanie Zacharek, Salon.com

This is a sturdy little cop thriller, and even when it stretches the bounds of plausibility, you go with it, partly because you believe -- almost against your better judgment -- in what the characters... full review

March 2, 2006
Claudia Puig, USA Today

16 Blocks seems as if it has been around the block a time or two. full review

March 2, 2006
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

The bedrock of the plot is the dogged determination of the Bruce Willis character. Jack may be middle-aged, he may be tired, he may be balding, he may be a drunk, but if he's played by Bruce Willis yo... full review

March 2, 2006
Nick Schager, Slant Magazine

The film kicks and lurches like a dying jalopy, undermining the otherwise lean efficiency with which Donner steers his metropolitan odyssey. full review

View more 16 Blocks reviews at RottenTomatoes.com

Comments


  • WrellikW
    July 9, 2008
    I liked this movie; it reminded me of 'Swat' of 'Diehard'. Bruce Willis is a pretty good actor, in my book.

    Take care all,
    William
    Zzzzzzoooooooommmmmmmm!

    P.S. "It is easy to be brave, from a distance". American Indian Proverb.

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16 Blocks : Watch Free on TV


16 Blocks Trivia


  • What movie did Tyrese Gibson NOT appear in?  Answer »
  • In what movie does Bruce Willis assigned to escort a prisoner through the streets of New York City?  Answer »
  • I've gone 16 blocks, I'm over the hedge, I'm a kid and I've faced Armageddon. Who am I?  Answer »
  • Which actor has starred in all of the following:- - Die Hard: With a Vengeance - Pulp Fiction - 16 Blocks - Over the Hedge  Answer »

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