16 Blocks [Blu-ray]

MOVIE DESCRIPTION:

A hard-drinking, hard-living cop assigned the task of transporting a small-time criminal to the nearby courthouse finds that a simple, 16-block drive can be the longest ride of his life in director Richard Donner's urban action thriller. Hung-over, has-been cop Jack Mosley (Bruce Willis) has seen better days, and all that the force expects out of him these days is to stay out of trouble while he's on the clock. Eddie Bunker (Mos Def) is set to testify before a grand jury at 10:00 a.m., and it's up to Mosely to make sure that Bunker makes it to the courthouse in one piece -- a job that Mosely estimates will take a maximum of 15 minutes. A black van has been trailing the pair unnoticed, though, and after stopping off at a nearby liquor store to pick up some breakfast, Mosely emerges from the store just in time to save Eddie from the lethal bullet of a determined assassin. When backup arrives in the form of Detective Frank Nugent (David Morse), Mosely quickly realizes that the detective on Nugent's team is the same cop that Bunker is set to testify against. Now faced with the tough task of dodging bullets and eluding a massive onslaught of corrupt cops, Mosely must keep Bunker alive long enough to get him before the judge and ensure that justice is served. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

DVD FEATURES:

• Number of Discs: 1
• Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1
• Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1
• Screen: Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV
• Subtitle: Spanish, English, French
• Features:
  • Alternate ending not seen in theaters - viewable separately and incorporated into the film
  • Deleted scenes with optional director/screenwriter commentary
  • Theatrical trailer

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

• Cast:

  
       Bruce Willis - Jack Mosley
       Mos Def - Eddie Bunker
       David Morse - Frank Nugent
       Jenna Stern - Diane Mosley
       Casey Sander - Captain Gruber

• Director:

  Richard Donner

• Producer:

  Randall Emmett, Avi Lerner, Arnold Rifkin, John Thompson, Jim Van Wyck

• Screenwriter:

  Richard Wenk

• Cinematographer:

  Glen MacPherson

• Composer (Music Score):

  Klaus Badelt

• Musical Direction/Supervision:

  Ashley Miller

• Editor:

  Steve Mirkovich

• Production Designer:

  Les Bloom, Arv Greywal

• Art Director:

  Brandt Gordon, Wing Lee

• Co-producer:

  Derek Hoffman, Jochen Kamlah, Brian Read

• Associate Producer:

  Stephen Eads, Todd Gilbert, Ilyse A. Reutlinger

REVIEW:

• 16 Blocks showcases director Richard Donner and star Bruce Willis at their best, lending their old-fashioned Hollywood talent to a popcorn-movie thriller that offers enough texture and emotion to help it stand out from the pack. Richard Wenk's script offers a familiar thriller premise (and one that owes a few of its plot points to The Gauntlet) but he gives it a fresh spin through rich characterizations and snappy dialogue. Better yet, he and Donner use its New York locale as a character in and of itself. However, the two elements that truly hold 16 Blocks together are its two lead performances; Willismanages to hit the right blend of movie-star machismo and world-weariness as the aging cop hero and Mos Def is a loquacious delight as the small-time con determined to change his way of thinking . David Morse also lends find support as Willis' steely, deeply hypocritical nemesis. The end result might be a little too pat for some viewers, but 16 Blocks offers fine escapist fare to any viewer who wants a good, old fashioned Hollywood thriller. ~ Donald Guarisco, All Movie Guide

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