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16 Blocks [Blu-ray]

1 disc
Region 1 USA/CA (info)

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.
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- Rating - for violence, intense sequences of action, and some strong language
Additional Info

Manufacturer Part Number (MPN): 82946
Credits

Bruce Willis, Mos Def, Dante Beze
Critic Reviews

"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."
Rolling Stone
3 stars out of 5 -- "The action sequences are adept and the leads likeable..."
Total Film
"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."
Sight and Sound
3 stars out of 4 -- "[A] well-acted thriller about life on both sides of the thin blue line."
Rolling Stone
3 stars out of 4 -- "Def's jittery ramblings provide the zing and Donner deftly handles the action sequences..."
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