If NYC bus drivers drove their MTA buses with the dogged determination that Det. Jack Mosley (played by a paunchy Bruce Willis) displayed in this action/adventure/crime/drama/thriller, the folks at the NYC MTA Complaint Department would have little to do but punch IN and OUT on a daily basis. Mosley's reason for hi-jacking an MTA bus coincides with his desire to successfully escort a fast-talking witness, Eddie Bunker (played with sublime brilliance by Mos Def), from police custody to a courthouse. The title of the film is derived from the distance--"16 Blocks"--between the police precinct where Bunker has been held to the courthouse where he is due to testify.<br /><br />Relative to the plot: aging cop must escort witness 16 blocks, going into the film I had doubts that Director Richard Donner and Writer Richard Wenk would have enough skill to pull off an action-packed drama, let alone edge-of-your-seat thriller. But, giving credit where credit is due, they surpassed my expectations, and then some.<br /><br />Like Det. Mosley, "16 Blocks" delivers the goods.<br /><br />Of course, one does have to look the other way during some of the movie's sequences, especially the never-ending string of escapes that the gimpy detective and his ever-chatting custodial responsibility make in the course of their short trip. Believe it, Houdini would be impressed by these two if he were still around. Even after Mosley wedges the hi-jacked bus into an alleyway with no outlets they manage to elude their pursuers. But, as we all know by now, that is the nature of "thrillers." Most often the pursued are trapped in no-escape situations by slipping out the back door, or high-tailing it up a stairwell, or, as aforementioned, hi-jacking a city bus.<br /><br />Willis and Def, the two lead characters in the movie, carry the load, and do so with a combination of dead-pan humor, knowing exchanges, and sheer will.<br /><br />Playing the grizzled, alcoholic NYPD police detective, who is on the verge of retirement, or suicide (whichever comes first), Willis hits all the right marks. There's something in his face that plays perfectly to the tone of "been there, done that" without playing that tone as stereotypically jaded. That's not so surprising as Willis has shown his chops in a handful of previous flicks. What is surprising is Mos Def's performance as the inscrutable yet amiable Eddie Bunker.<br /><br />Def's character brings to mind the character played by Mel Gibson in "Conspiracy Theory" (produced by Mr. Donner). One moment you think the guy is full of hot air and fantasy, but in the next his obtuse ramblings make sense. Thanks to the believable relationship these two build in their short time together, Def gets to deliver several of the movie's most hilarious lines, made all the more poignant in light of Willis' response, or lack thereof.<br /><br />By movie's end, these strange bedfellows act in unison, achieving their individual goals by the only means left available to them. (I won't divulge their choice as it would give away too much of the ending.) Suffice it to say, this surprising movie succeeded as an action/adventure/crime/drama/thriller on the shoulders of its leading characters, and the talents of Donner and Wenk.<br /><br />Work to the wise. As one might be tempted to do upon meeting Det. Mosley, don't underestimate what you see at face value relative to the movie's seemingly skimpy plot.<br /><br />While "16 Blocks" might not seem enough distance for hold one's interest, escorted by Willis and Def, one's adventure is anything but uneventful.