Action Thriller Movie Review - 16 Blocks

 This 2006 thriller is written for movie, so no book first. It is one of those movies that you either liked/loved or hated. But I consider this a classic action thriller of its era. 

What it's about:

"Boozy and world-weary, NYPD Detective Jack Mosley (Bruce Willis) draws a routine assignment to transport trial witness Eddie Bunker (Mos Def) to the courthouse by 10 a.m. The task quickly becomes a deadly game of cat-and-mouse when some of Jack's fellow officers arrive to kill Eddie so that he cannot testify against them. Jack sees a way to redeem his wasted life by protecting the affable Eddie from the would-be assassins." Rotten Tomatoes    

Taglines:

-- For a New York cop and his witness, the distance between life and death just got very short.

-- 1 Witness... 118 Minutes...

     

Cast:

-- Bruce Willis as Jack Mosley

-- Yasiin Bey/Mos Def as Eddie Bunker

-- David Morse as Frank Nugent

-- Jenna Stern as Diane Mosley

-- Casey Sander as Capt. Dan Gruber

-- Director Richard Donner

-- Writer Richard Wenk

Rated PG-13  1 hour 42 minutes

     

Rotten Tomatoes (55%) and critics reviews:

***In its opening weekend, the film grossed $12.7 million, which was the second-highest-grossing film of the weekend.  The film made $51.53 million on rentals and remained on the DVD top 50 charts for 17 consecutive weeks.

-- "B-movie done with shrewd aplomb." Fernando F. Croce for CinePassion

-- "At its heart, this is actually an excellent film. But, as filmmakers seek to escalate the big action, believability suffers severely." Ross Anthony for Hollywood Report Card

-- "The most high-octane action-- pyrotechnics, fisticuffs, gunplay, car crashes, back alley dashes and fire escape leaps-- ever crammed into a pressure-cooked chase lasting less than a mile." Kam Williams for Bean Soup Times

-- "16 Blocks does stretch credulity at times. But ... you overlook some of its more outlandish facets until you are in the lobby and reflecting on what you saw." Bob Bloom for Journal and Courier (Lafayette, IN)

-- "Willis and Def are wonderful...Donner (Lethal Weapon) unleashes a tight, effective yarn." Caffeinated Clint for Brag Magazine

-- "For the dull and preposterous 95 minutes of 16 Blocks, audiences are sentenced to Willis playing a boozy burn-out and a nasal-voiced Def doing his imitation of Porky Pig." Thomas Delapa for Boulder Weekly

-- "Richard Donner (Superman, Lethal Weapon/s) is a respected old pro who knows how to make an action movie that delivers thrills and maybe something to chew on as well." Urban Cinefile Critics

-- "16 Blocks can happily sit alongside Inside Man as an example of a well-made, superbly-acted, intelligent thriller. More of these, please." Matthew Turner for ViewLondon

    

Noteworthy awards or rankings:

2006 Black Movie Award Nominee 

Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role

Yasiin Bey/Mos Def

  

Trivia (from IMDB):

-- Willis originally wanted rapper Ludacris to play the part of Eddie Bunker.

-- Yasiin Bey appears credited in this movie by his then artistic name, Mos Def. He changed it to Yasiin Bey in 2011.

-- In order to make Detective Jack Mosley's limp look realistic on screen, Bruce Willis put a pebble in his shoe and kept it there throughout the length of the shoot.

-- 16 Blocks is the second film in which David Morse plays the villain to Bruce Willis as the protagonist; the first was 12 Monkeys.

-- There was an alternate ending considered, but they ended up sticking with the ending originally written in the screenplay.

-- Yasiin Bey's character has the name "Edward Bunker". Edward Bunker is a real-life criminal turned actor (thus proving that people can change, in line with the theme of the movie).

-- Eddie Bunker, played by Yasiin Bey, cites Chuck Berry as an example of a man who was able to change his life after getting out of prison. Two years later, Yasiin Bey played the part of Chuck Berry in the movie Cadillac Records (2008).

-- This was Richard Donner's final film before his death on July 5, 2021 at the age of 91. This is Donner's 12th film distributed by Warner Bros.

-- The film's writer, Richard Wenk, has reported that he originally conceived of the project with himself as writer and director. Wenk said that upon hearing his pitch for his new film, Donner "liked it so much that he didn't want me to direct it; he wanted to direct." Wenk tells this story in the documentary about screen writing, Tales from the Script (2009).

-- A Richard Donner trademark: When Jack parks his car to buy a drink, he appears to park outside a PETA office. Donner would often include animal rights posters or messages in his action movies.

My Thoughts:

     This is another movie that I saw years ago and it stuck with me, unlike most action thriller movies that I forget as the credits roll. So again, I feel that makes this definitely worth sharing.  Bruce Willis and Mos Def are magic together and give wonderful performances IMHO. Willis makes you feel old and tired and you can practically smell the booze rolling off him with his portrayal.  

     As an action thriller, practically the entire movie is a chase, but somehow each improbable narrow escape works- probably because they have to work for it. The sense of place is prevalent throughout and you know this is New York City because you feel the immediacy, traffic, and energy in every moment. Unlike so many action movies, this gives you solid character development and I think of it as equally character as well as action driven. 

     While this is definitely a thriller, it is a redemption tale at its heart which elevates the movie in my opinion. I like that there are plenty of moments to breath that breaks up the tense action parts. This movie could have ended right after the climatic resolution, but I love the wrap-up scene that puts a smile on your face.

     If you are in the mood for a classic action thriller by a stellar director with solid acting, look for this movie (I re-watched it on Tubi.)  I would love it if you shared in the comments your thoughts on this movie.

     

Movie Trailer:

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Review - I. Spy

This new book (and series, I believe) is getting plenty of buzz before its May release.

"A gripping blend of suspenseful spy thriller with heartfelt women’s fiction, I, Spy is the first in a propulsive debut series about the masks we all wear, whether as a spy or as a parent."

I knew nothing about this going in, so read on to see what I thought of it.

Author: L.M. Kemp

Copyright: May 2026 (Minotaur Books) 246 pgs

Series: 1st in Kendal Carter Books

Sensuality: Swearing

Mystery Sub-genre: Espionage, Intrigue, 

Main Character: Kendal Carter, former spy for hire

Setting: Modern era, London

Obtained Through: Publisher for honest review

Book Blurb: "Kendal Carter is out in the cold and she wouldn’t have it any other way. It’s been four years since her daughter Rosie was born and Kendal has kept her miles away from the danger of her former life as a spy. But when their hiding place is discovered, Kendal is forced to turn to old contacts for help. Her longtime friend and ex-handler Rico doesn’t miss his chance to pull his best spy back in. Whisking them to London, Rico offers them a luxury safe house in an area with good schools. How can Kendal resist?

     But there’s a catch, of course. Rico wants Kendal to come back to work for his espionage agency Bon Temps. He’s offering an assignment with no apparent downside, investigating one of the dads at Rosie’s new school who works at one of London’s biggest, murkiest tech firms and suspected of being up to no good. It should be easy enough for someone with her experience, and luckily, mother is the perfect cover.

     However, it doesn’t take long for Kendal to realize that Rico’s got an agenda of his own. The tech firm may be dealing in darker and more deadly secrets than they all realize, plus the world of coffee mornings and playdates comes with its own web of allegiances and betrayals. Kendal soon finds herself in way too deep . . ."

My Thoughts:

     Kendal Carter (code name 96) was a spy, until she became a mom. That's when she left that life behind to raise her child in obscurity. Khalil Masoumi is the father and even though he is dead, Kendal still misses him deeply. Unfortunately, spying didn't forget her... she grabs her child and races away from a goon squad breaking into her apartment. Just like that, she is sucked back into the game. She takes a job with the promise she will be safe in exchange for housing. Kendal is good, but a touch rusty after four years off the job grieving. She has to get up to speed lickety-split, but perhaps even more of a challenge is being social with other moms at Rosie's new school.

     Former boss, Rico, seems sketchy throughout and I was never sure about him until the end. He seems morally grey. Plus there is Joel that is new to the spy-for-hire biz and Rico wants Kendal, as a pro with lots of experience, to show him "the ropes" of the company. Oh yeah, he lives in the basement of the wonderful home Rico is providing Kendal. Fortunately, Joel is an easy going nerd and even helps out with Rosie.

     The author makes the mundane world of school and fellow moms seem like a web of hidden agendas and shifting alliances. You'll never look at PTA the same! 

     The story moves along at a good clip and before I knew it the resolution and final of a few twists hits.  The wrap up leaves it open for a series and I hope that's the case because this is a solid intrigue tale and Kendal is a great character to carry the series with her four-year old child.

Rating: Excellent - Loved it! Buy it now and put this author on your watch list 

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Mystery Movie Review - Twisted

This 2004 film is a crime drama, mystery, noir thriller, or psychological thriller.  I saw this years ago and still remember it, so I wanted to share it with you.

What it's about:

Recently promoted and transferred to the homicide division, Inspector Jessica Shepard feels pressure to prove herself. She is assigned to hunt down a serial killer who is murdering the men she recently dated. Then she starts blacking out on the night of each murder, and she becomes the prime suspect. She needs to find and catch the killer fast.

Taglines:

-- Every murder has a mark.

-- An elusive killer. A brilliant detective. Maybe one and the same?

Cast:

-- Ashley Judd as Jessica Shepard

-- Samuel L. Jackson as John Mills

-- Andy Garcia as Mike Delmarco

-- David Strathairn as Dr. Melvin Frank

-- Russell Wong as Lieutenant Tong

-- Mark Pellegrino as Jimmy Schmidt

-- Titus Welliver as Dale Becker

-- Director: Philip Kaufman

-- Writer: Sarah Thorp

Rated R  1 hour 37 minutes

violence, language, and slight sexuality.

Rotten Tomatoes and critics reviews:

-- Critics hated this movie and trashed it vehemently. They pretty much hated everything about it from the script to the actors saying "Numbingly predictable, inept, and boring".  Such critical condemnation is probably why it didn't do well at the box office.  Audiences who did watch it were split between thinking it was an average and okay-to-good thriller to just simply thinking it was dull and not worth the time.

     

-- "I agree, that this movie is a good thriller movie to be watched. I was entertained by this movie, and I kinda guessed wrongly in the beginning." IMDB

     

-- "My expectations were fulfilled. I mean I knew that this one was not a top thriller but at least it was better than the last ones I s[aw]. I spent an entertaining evening with my wife who didn't fall asleep this time. This movie kept your attention from beginning and during all the time you are asking who the real murder is. The performance of Ashley Judd in her psycho role was very good and for all fans of her this is a must see. Yeah, it's a good psycho-thriller with a surprising end. I am wondering why so many critics are negative here. There are no doubt more movies who deserved less good votes than Twisted." -IMDB

     

-- "If pressed, I would say that this film is a noir thriller, though it's so much more. There's a great love story here too (actually there are many kinds of love stories in the film and one really twisted one-thus the title). The direction, the camera-work and acting are all great." IMDB

Noteworthy awards or rankings:

Hollywood Film Awards

2004 Winner-Hollywood Film Award

Make-Up of the Year: Ve Neill

Trivia (from IMDB):

-- "Jessica Shepard's promotion from Officer to Inspector isn't as big a jump as it sounds. The S.F.P.D., unlike nearly all other municipal police departments, does not have a traditional Detective rank. The Inspector rank is simply the next rank above Officer, and an Inspector's responsibilities are exactly like those of a Detective in most other police departments."

-- "Internationally, the movie was renamed through multiple titles. Including "Blackout," "Stalked," "I Can't Believe It's You," "Murderous Instincts," "Unexpected Twist," and "An Eclipse." Additionally, "Blackout" was the film's original title during production."

-- "Filming San Francisco practically earned co-star credit, so director Philip Kaufman fought to shoot the movie in the city he knew so well. Well-known San Francisco bars and restaurants in the film include Tosca Café and Vesuvio, both on Columbus Avenue in the North Beach district, as well as Red's Java House, at Pier 30 on the waterfront. Several scenes were also filmed at the Palace of Fine Arts, with its unmistakable rotunda and lagoon."

-- "According to Philip Kaufman, it was Ashley Judd's idea to cut her hair short for the movie because she believed that's the way a cop would wear it."

-- "The cast includes three Oscar nominees: Andy Garcia, Samuel L. Jackson, and David Strathairn."

-- "Jessica Shepard's final confrontation with the villain was filmed at the San Francisco Maritime National Historic Park. The ship behind her is the Balclutha, built in 1886."

My Thoughts:

I first saw this movie many years ago, but it stuck with me.  Which, I feel makes this movie deserving of inclusion in my movie reviews.  I re-watched it to have it fresh in my mind for the review. Many movies that were praised by critics I couldn't remember much, if anything, but this one really got to me.  

As always, Ashley Judd had me invested in her story and afraid for her. Andy Garcia gave a wonderful supporting character that you weren't sure of until the end and Samuel L. Jackson played a bit more subdued and nuanced character than his usual. 

This had many noir elements that gave the film a gritty vibe. This is a journey as Judd gives us a police officer who begins to loose time and as she becomes the only suspect she looses faith in herself and wonders if she was the killer during her black outs.

The climax-killer reveal is a twist followed by a cat-and-mouse foot-chase at a dock/marina with fog and plenty of noir atmosphere that I thought was effective for ramping up the suspense.

Overall I really like this film and believe it's underrated.  Give it a try and please let me know your thoughts on the movie in the comments.

Movie Trailer:

     

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Review - Naked in Death

 J. D. Robb is the pseudonym for a #1 New York Times bestselling author of more than 200 novels, including the bestselling In Death series. There are more than 500 million copies of her books in print.  

     

When other bestselling authors praise this series like this: "“Anchored by terrific characters, sudden twists that spin the whole narrative on a dime, and a thrills-to-chills ration that will raise the neck hairs of even the most jaded reader, the J. D. Robb books are the epitome of great popular fiction.”—New York Times bestselling author Dennis Lehane" I finally caved and dove into this world.

     

There are 63 titles at this point in the series and I chose to start at book one.  I wanted to know about this Science Fiction Detective series and see if it was my cup of tea.  Read on to find out more.

     

Author: J.D. Robb

Copyright: July 1995 (Berkley) 381 pgs

Series: 1st of In Death (Eve Dallas) series

Sensuality: Some sex scenes, some violence, some cursing. Gritty.

Mystery Sub-genre: SciFi Police Procedural, SciFi Police Thriller

Main Character: Detective Eve Dallas of the NYPD

Setting: Year 2058, New York City

Obtained Through: Library

     

Book Blurb: "In the year 2058, technology completely rules the world. But for New York City Detective Eve Dallas, one irresistible impulse still rules the heart: passion…

     

Eve Dallas is a New York police lieutenant hunting for a ruthless killer. In over ten years on the force, she's seen it all—and knows her survival depends on her instincts. And she's going against every warning telling her not to get involved with Roarke, an Irish billionaire—and a suspect in Eve's murder investigation. But passion and seduction have rules of their own, and it's up to Eve to take a chance in the arms of a man she knows nothing about—except the addictive hunger of needing his touch."

     

My Thoughts:

I find it interesting that when this was written the book was only 63 years in the future and the level of technological advances seemed possible at that point.  It could still happen, but the social advances in the book seem further away than ever.  Thus, the technology aspects are advanced and other than interplanetary business don't seem too far out-of-reach. 

     

Eve Dallas is a hard-core bad-ass thirty year-old police lieutenant who keeps her emotions locked up tight, especially trust. She had a bad childhood.  Mavis is Eve's best friend and couldn't be more opposite to Eve, but somehow their friendship works.  Captain Ryan Feeney of the NYPDs Electronics Division is her former police partner, trainer, and her first adult male friend who cares about her almost like a father figure.  Roarke (just Roarke) is a suspect and ticks all the boxes. He is handsome, rich, powerful, and on the surface seems nothing like a killer. Unfortunately, Eve feels intensely attracted to him.

     

I appreciated that Eve is shown with the emotional baggage from her last case where she had to shoot a killer but kicks herself for not being in time to save a young girl. The reader gets the vulnerable Eve, the Eve nobody else gets to see. We also get to see just how good she is and how she reasons through the evidence and does get emotionally involved as she bulldozes through lies and deceptions.

     

Surprisingly, the futuristic elements aren't what I remember because it is window dressing in most cases thus far. The setting of New York is a big city where wealthy and powerful think they don't have to live by the same rules, where people are to be used and how you let all that define you is the story. Not much different from our era now. Nora Roberts (aka, J.D. Robb) is masterful at bringing a setting alive whether it's a grimy back alley or a penthouse, her subtle use of details makes it feel real.

     

The Sci-Fi elements take a back seat to a solid police procedural. There are suspects, clues and red herrings, danger, subplots, fleshed out characters, deep sense of place and a tense killer confrontation. The pacing kept me turning the pages and the magic of loosing track of time took over.  It is immersive.  The writing is like a Hitchcock film, building layers of tension until the killer confrontation.

     

Such a gritty homicide detective story usually falls into the common trap of a dismal and hopeless feel of crime and violence galore. But not in this book, and I daresay the same for the entire series. Rather it has hope and a sense of shared humanity, even romance and connection. Don't get me wrong, this is not a romance novel, but it certainly has a romantic element in it which I think is crucial since Eve is rather shut off towards men.

     

I was completely surprised by how much I came away loving this world and characters. I don't often rave about a book, but I'm already reading the second and can see myself making my way through all of the series. I love this gift of great genre writing. Thank you Nora Roberts!

Here is Nora Roberts discussing the series:

     

Rating: Near Perfect - Buy two copies: one for you and one for a friend. 

     

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Mystery Movie Review - Murder at 1600

 This 1997 Crime Drama/Mystery/Political Thriller didn't start as a book. It was written for screen and for pure entertainment value.

What it's about:

"A secretary is found dead in a White House bathroom during an international crisis, and Detective Harlan Regis is in charge of the investigation. Despite resistance from the Secret Service, Regis partners with agent Nina Chance. As political tensions rise, they learn that the crime could be part of an elaborate cover-up. Framed as traitors, the pair and Regis' partner break into the White House to expose the true culprit."

      

Rated R  1 hour 47 minutes

for sexuality, violence, and some language

   

Taglines: 

-- He's a D.C. cop on the outside. She's a Secret Service agent on the inside. Tracking a White House homicide to the First Family's front door.

-- This address changes all the rules.

     

Cast:

-- Wesley Snipes as Detective Harlan Regis

-- Diane Lane as Secret Service agent Nina Chance

-- Daniel Benzali as Secret Service Agent Nick Spikings

-- Dennis Miller as Detective Stengel

-- Alan Alda as  National Security Advisor Alvin Jordan

-- Ronny Cox as President Jack Neil

-- Diane Baker as First Lady Kitty Neil

-- Tate Donovan as First Son Kyle Neil

Director: Dwight H. Little

Writers: Wayne BeachDavid Hodgin

Rotten Tomatoes (33%) and critics reviews:

-- "B- grade" Lisa Schwarzbaum-Entertainment Weekly

-- "Wesley Snipes is in top form. A top-notch action thriller." Rob Blackwelder-SPLICEDWire

-- "The last third of the film is a ready-made action movie plug-in." Roger Ebert-Chicago Sun-Times

-- "Murder is a fairly diverting game of whodunit, like a big-screen version of Clue, until it sinks into routine thriller antics and wraps up preposterously." Susan Wloszczyna-USA Today

-- "Murder at 1600 is an enjoyable thriller. ...on the whole the plot leaves the viewer in some suspense. As a "whodunnit", the movie succeeds, and as for this reviewer, the murderer and the actual conspiracy isn't evident till near the end. Wayne Beach and the late David Hodgin create enough plot twists to keep most viewers guessing. Director Dwight Little keeps things tight and well-paced. There is a good sense of logic to Murder at 1600's execution.  It's arguably one of the best films Snipes has starred in. And refreshingly for Hollywood, we do not have a male European-American hero saving the day with his African-American sidekick." Jack Yan-IMDB

-- "Murder at 1600 is an OK thriller film. The cast all does a pretty good job, especially Diane Lane and Wesley Snipes. Alan Alda also does a good sufficient job at portraying his role. The film does at least keep you guessing for the majority of the runtime. The mystery kinda builds as it goes, which is always fun. The mystery isn't the greatest one ever to be in a movie, but it is interesting to see how it all comes and works together to see who is behind everything and why in the end." DavisPittman-IMDB

Trivia (from IMDB):

Trivia (from IMDB):

-- Wesley Snipes replaced Bruce Willis in the lead role of Detective Harlan Regis after Willis withdrew from the movie.

-- David Caruso still thinks he should have been in this movie.

-- Director Dwight Little said that he had been promised Murder at 1600 would be released before Absolute Power. When Clint Eastwood heard that Murder at 1600 was getting positive test screenings, Little said Eastwood convinced Warner Bros. to release Absolute Power first, causing Murder at 1600 to look like a copycat.

-- Although scenes were filmed in Washington, D.C., primary locations were in Toronto, Canada and nearby locations in Ontario... a new Oval Office was built at Cinespace Film Studios in Kleinburg [specifically for this film.]

-- Love scenes between Wesley Snipes and Diane Lane were some of the scenes which were cut from the film, apparently because it was felt that their characters interracial romance didn't work.

-- The book on Detective Stengel's (Dennis Miller) nightstand at approx 39m is Isaac Asimov's The Martian Way.

-- There is an unused music score composed by Basil Poledouris. His name, however, appears on the trailer as being the music composer.

     

My Thoughts:

It's rated "R" for a reason, but that aside this is an enjoyable political thriller.  Wesley Snipes and Diane Lane both gave solid performances and Alan Alda, too. I always enjoy Daniel Benzali and he delivered here. 

When you want a tense movie with some action and mystery to sit back and enjoy, this is a good one. This movie didn't try for Oscar winning, it went for the entertainment value and it scored well for that. 

I didn't guess who was behind the murder or why until close to the reveal. Good job there.

If you haven't seen this before, give it a try. If you haven't seen it in a while, watch it again for a  popcorn night. Yes, I own a DVD of this movie.

     

Movie Trailer:

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