No Surrender Cinema: 16 Blocks
Back in 2019, No Surrender Cinema went on a summer vacation of sorts. I’m not talking about any sort of paid time off (and wouldn’t that be a nice fringe benefit to this gig), but rather a cinematic tour of the islands focusing on several thrillers set in exotic locales. Well here we are in March of 2021 and it’s time to take another trip, though this one will be shorter and less exotic. Come with me for a journey through the streets of New York, a trip that will only last 16 Blocks!
One would think that a walk through the streets of NYC wouldn’t require a tour guide, but that’s precisely what Bruce Willis here for. Sure, he’s technically an NYPD detective, but it’s made clear from the start of the film that Willis’ Jack Mosley is a guy who has been through the ringer. He’s tired, overweight, and not afraid to booze it up even when he’s supposed to be guarding a crime scene. It’s clear that whatever respect anyone once had for Jack is out the door, because just when he thinks his shift is over and he can sleep off his most recent bender, he’s assigned to take Eddie Bunker (Mos Def) to court so that he can testify at a morning trial. Now that we’ve established time is of the essence, we just have to sit back and wait for something to come and make Jack’s mission harder than it has to be.
Before you can say “witness intimidation”, Bunker is trying to dodge bullets in Jack’s backseat when Mosley stops off at a liquor store. Lucky for Eddie, Jack hears the commotion and saves him at the last second with a well place bullet to the back of a gunman’s head. Jack dispatches of the other attacker, and he and Eddie hole up inside one of Jack’s old haunts. Backup arrives in the form of Frank Nugent (David Morse), Jack’s old partner, who brings along a few of New York’s Finest. Unfortunately for Eddie, these officers of the law are a part of the very crew he’s set to testify against, which means the men they expected to help them are now out to harm them. Despite Nugent’s attempts to sway Mosley, Jack remains on the right side of the law; he blasts one of Nugent’s cronies with a shotgun and saves Bunker from the clutches of the crooked cops. Now Jack has become a wanted man, and his former friends are now hunting he and Bunker down in an effort to save their own asses.
Now that they have something in common, Jack and Eddie begin to forge an Odd Couple-esque relationship. Eddie questions why Jack saved him (“Cops don’t shoot other cops…”), but Mosley is steadfast in doing what he promised to do and deliver Eddie safely to the courthouse. Bunker naturally has reservations at first…after all, the men who are suppose to serve and protect are the ones trying to put him six feet under. Jack isn’t any better, because even though he’s saving Eddie’s life, he feels he’s bound to be a petty crook for all eternity. The bickering turns to bonding, and it’s not long before Jack is feeling enlightened by Eddie’s insistence that people can change. Even with Frank playing the devil on his shoulder trying to convince him that Eddie isn’t worth throwing away his career (or implicating himself in the corruption scandal), Jack is headstrong and doesn’t waiver, deciding that despite the numerous screwups he’s racked up, he can atone for those sins by being the better man here.
16 Blocks is paced perfectly, because it never feels boring even when it’s one of the character building scenes between all of the action. The dramatic elements don’t bog the film down in any way, and I would even say they enhance the action. We learn a lot about Jack and Eddie from their banter, and how despite their flaws their intentions were always genuine. That’s why instead of simply gunning down all of the cops that are after them and worrying about the consequences later, they’re careful in how they handle the situation since the most important thing is going to be getting Eddie to court and clearing their names. Even the resolution and ending of the film is off the beaten path for your normal Bruce Willis action film, because it’s not your typical by the numbers happy ending. Honestly, the only complaint I have about the whole film is the way Mos Def chose to make Bunker’s voice. He’s one of my favorite rappers ever and is a hell of an actor as well, but the choice to give Eddie a childish, babbling, rambling speech pattern just doesn’t jive with me. I’m not sure if the intent was comic relief or to give Bunker a recognizable trait, but whatever it was, it gets on your nerves real fast.
As an added bonus, if you read this review and decide to seek out 16 Blocks (available to stream now on Tubi as well as DVD/Blu-Ray), look up the alternate ending (which someone has uploaded to YouTube) for an even bigger twist to the story. The most interesting thing about it is that while it’s a bit of a downer, it excels at giving closure to the character evolution of Jack Mosley in a much different way. 16 Blocks may have the plot of a classic Cannon chase film, but at the center of the action is a lot of heart, and that’s what puts it over the top for me. While Willis will always be beloved for being John McClane, more attention should be paid to his turn as Jack Mosley. This was one of Willis’ finest hours, and those in search of an engaging thriller would be best served to give 16 Blocks a shot.
