16 Blocks

The pairing in 16 Blocks of actor Bruce Willis and director Richard Donner, both of whom have a sizable collection of action flicks to their credit, is receiving approval from most critics. Willis, who plays a drunk cop in the movie, is being congratulated for doing what he does best -- playing the flawed action hero. Roger Ebert in the Chicago Sun-Times calls the movie, a chase picture conducted at a velocity that is just about right for a middle-age alcoholic. Joe Morgenstern in the Wall Street Journal praises the performances of Willis and costar Mos Def and refers to the movie as a mismatched-buddy movie that's endearing, funny and affecting in equal measure. Indeed Lou Lumenick in the New York Post rates the movie the most competently made and entertaining major studio release so far this year. On the other hand, Stephen Hunter writes in the Washington Post: This feeble thriller is so full of implausibilities it makes Willis's last star vehicle, Hostage, seem like a documentary on advanced thermodynamics. And Geoff Pevere in the Toronto Star pronounces it as diverting as a two-hour slog through Manhattan traffic.