16 Blocks (HD DVD)

Plot: What’s it about?

There’s been a lot said about Bruce Willis and his starring roles with numbers in the titles. “The Sixth Sense”, “12 Monkeys”, “The Fifth Element” and so on. Well, Willis has two more numbers to add to his resume with “16 Blocks”. And while he’s not quite the box office star he was a few years ago, he’s still on the radar (and “Die Hard 4” next year might change things too). Personally, I like Willis though he does seem to play the same character in every movie he’s in. His character of Jack Mosely (in this movie) is a lot darker and does show a more human side of Willis, one I equate to Arnold Schwarzenegger’s in “End of Days”. Director Richard Donner (the “Lethal Weapon” movies) has teamed with writer Richard Wenk to create a pretty good thriller in “16 Blocks”, a movie with a fairly simple plot line that could lead into a predictable thriller but manages a few twists and turns along the way.

Jack Mosely is an aging cop, he’s burnt out, an alcoholic and looked down upon by his peers. He’s been working the late shift and is asked to escort a witness to the courthouse so that he can testify. Eddie (Mos Def) is his name and he’s a fast-talking kid who annoys Jack more than anything. Coincidentally enough, it’s (you guessed it) 16 blocks from the police station to the courthouse. Things go sour pretty quickly when a failed assassination attempt on Eddie goes awry. It’s then that Jack realizes that this is no ordinary witness. We then see the emergence of Frank (David Morse), a well-respected detective and former partner of Jack’s who offers to take the witness. Jack’s gut feeling tells him something is up and he refuses Frank’s assistance. We then learn that Frank is, of course, a dirty cop and that the witness could ruin their careers. From here the action is turned up and it avoids the usual pratfalls that are associated with a movie like this.

I have to admit that I actually liked “16 Blocks” and I’m rapidly turning into a fan of Mos Def. Usually I don’t really have a lot of respect for the rapper turned actors (except for Ice Cube), but he’s got a real talent for action, comedy and drama. Willis turns in a decent performance and Morse is doing his best with his character acting skills. There is chemistry between Willis and Mos Def, to be sure, and it’s what really makes the movie work. While I wouldn’t rank this as one of Donner’s best movies, it’s good to see him behind the camera again. “16 Blocks” is an engaging action movie that delivers a few twists and turns along the way.

Video: How does it look?

“16 Blocks” is another day and date release from Warner that contains both the HD version and the standard DVD version on the same disc (different sides of the same disc, but the same disc nonetheless). I watched the HD version and was absolutely impressed as I continue to be by HD-DVD. The image is crystal clear and without the distractions of edge enhancement and blemishes on the transfer, it’s a lot easier to focus on the movie itself. By comparison, the standard DVD didn’t look bad at all, but compared to the HD version, it seemed very soft around the edges. There’s a scene in which I could actually see a ceiling fan spinning in the store in the background of the shot (I think it’s about the 1 hour 23 minute mark). I really couldn’t believe it. I checked out the same scene on the standard DVD side and it was just a tan blob. The 2.40:1 transfer is pristine and a true example of how good something can look in HD-DVD.

Audio: How does it sound?

This isn’t the most audio heavy movie out there, but it does have some instances when the Dolby Digital Plus soundtrack really shines. There are some car chases, gun shots and other assorted inner city sounds that give an added ambiance, but for the most part it’s a good sounding mix located in the front stage. Surrounds kick in from time to time to add some more depth. I also compared this to the Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack found on the standard DVD side and while there’s not a whole lot of difference between the two, I noticed a few tidbits here and there. On the whole “16 Blocks” delivers a good sounding track no matter how you slice it.

Supplements: What are the extras?

The supplements are the same for the standard DVD and the HD version, though if I’m not mistaken you’ll have to watch the standard DVD for the “Explosive alternate ending NOT seen in theaters”. I was unable to find it on the HD menu. Aside from the alternate ending (and it does vary from the theatrical ending in a major way) there are some deleted scenes with commentary from Director Richard Donner and the original theatrical trailer.