Worth the travel

You are given one task: transfer a witness, who is to testify at a very important court hearing, 16 blocks to the court house. Sounds pretty easy, right? Wrong. Try doing that while having a number of NYPD officers following you in attempt to kill the witness you are transporting. \nIn Richard Donner's "16 Blocks," Bruce Willis (Sin City) plays detective Jack Mosley. Upon leaving the police station around 8 a.m., Jack is asked to perform one simple duty before heading home. Tired from investigating a case earlier that morning and desperate to get home, Jack is forced to accept the job. He is now responsible for transporting Eddie Bunker (played by rapper Mos Def) from police custody to the courthouse, just 16 blocks away, all before 10 a.m. There he is to testify as a witness against a high profile case which could ruin the lives of many cops. \nWhat should be an easy task begins to change when detective Mosley decides to stop for a drink (yes, at 8 in the morning), leaving the witness handcuffed in the back of his car. A car which has been following them pulls up and attempts to kill Eddie before the shooter is killed by Jack. Jack and Eddie are also able to escape a second shooter. This all sets off a huge hunt for the two, led by officer Fred Nugent (David Morse), as cops are desperate to have Eddie dead. Jack is determined to get Eddie to the court house on time, even if that means betraying his ex-partner, officer Nugent. "Blocks" leaves one of the main themes running through your mind, and that is, no matter how bad a guy has been, is he able to change and should he be allowed a second chance?\nBruce Willis delivers yet another remarkable performance, seemingly getting better with age, and Mos Def is a surprisingly good actor as well. It's not very often that a rapper is successfully able to crossover into acting (just look at 50 Cent, for example).\nThe DVD includes deleted scenes from the movie as well as an alternate ending that can be viewed separately or incorporated into the film. I watched the movie with both endings and personally think that the ending released in theatres was much better; it was more complete. If you like some of the previous works from director Richard Donner, which includes the Lethal Weapon movies, "Conspiracy Theory" and "Superman," you will enjoy "16 Blocks." This fast paced thriller will keep your attention with the many twists it has to reveal.