Okay there are only seven basic plots and everything else is a variation of one or more of them and let's face it it WAS about fifty years ago that Van Heflin and Glenn Ford took that 3.10 to Yuma so who's gonna remember it now except the odd smart-ass like me. Putting that to one side this is an entertaining take on the plot and they reinforce the parallels in a reasonably subtle way; in 'Yuma' Van Heflin was a rancher (or some other ordinary occupation that meant he was unfamiliar with guns and/or violence and Glenn Ford's convict had a gang of professionals trying to spring him. This time around Bruce Willis IS familiar with gunplay given that he's a cop but the twisteroo is that he's burnt-out, worn-out and an alcoholic to boot and the professionals trying to prevent him taking criminal-turned-witness Mos Def to court are rogue cops, including Willis's own ex-partner and rather than spring Def their aim is to waste him and prevent him giving testimony that will take them all down. Like I said we've been here before but full marks to all hands for attempting to - and more or less succeeding in injecting a freshness into a jaded premise.
Review of 16 Blocks
