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Reviews
16 Blocks (2006)
Great script and potential, poor execution
I enjoyed this movie, but I was disappointed with various aspects.
1. The opening scene where Mosley is asked to attend to the crime scene? Is this realistic? Let alone for a cop with alcohol issues. Also this period should have been used to give a back story and some character development.
2. Bruce Willis acting drunk. I feel it was overacted and I could tell he was playing a drunken cop without the need for the drink bottle(s). The first time we should have seen the booze is where he stops at the shop to make a purchase.
2.1 In my experience of people with alcohol issues, certainly to the extent of drunkenness displayed by Willis are self conscious. For example the subway scene where he is trying to explain that he can "do this" he should be making up excuses or he could randomly breakdown into tears etc.
2.2 He should have had more difficulty finding the key. The camera angle could have been used to show they key, but Mosley fail to find it and perhaps try and break down the door unsuccessfully before Mos Def finds the key.
2.3 Again considering how intoxicated Mosley was supposed to be and the extent of his drinking issues his house should have been a mess making it difficult to find the gun.
3. Mos Def's acting is excellent here, but he doesn't find the right balance and the accent is annoying. Perhaps this aspect could of been improved with a higher calibre actor.
4. A few of the scenes don't blend well into the film. The scene where he handcuffs the cop in his house adds no tension or surprise. The room 5e doesn't really explain how Morse knew exactly where to be when they were leaving.
5. THE ENDING(S) there's too many of them! Its almost as if the filmmakers couldn't decide which direction to go in so they merged them all together. The hostage negotiation scene is wasted. Mosley should have been frantically explaining over the phone what had happened only to find either the hostage negotiator doesn't believe him and refers to his alcohol issues or perhaps reveals he is part of the conspiracy and Mosley being a drunk. A different tone of delivering this message.
6. Overall the film doesn't convey the message that people can change very well and because of the inconsistent measure of drunkenness acted by Willis its difficult to imagine him being one of the dirty cops. The lack of chemistry doesn't help. I can't help comparing this to De Nero/Pacino.
7. Can you count how many times i've referred to alcohol. The should of been a smaller plot device or required a much better performance to carry this off.
... I am a fan of John McClane :)