16 Blocks formulaic nature makes it easy to forget that Genre films are hard to take at the best of times. But then you could be forgiven for banishing the film to the outer reaches of your cinematic radar. However with the talent on show, and a tight, almost claustrophobic script, 16 Blocks ranks as one of the better films of the year so far.

An ageing cop (Bruce Willis) plays out his miserable existence to the level of a textbook 'loser'. He's overweight with a bad leg, and permanently drunk whether on or off duty. A bad day at the office gets worse when he has to do a last minute job and take a witness to the courthouse a few blocks away. Eddie Bunker (Mos Def) plays the hyperactive and mumbling witness in question, and neither men trust each other from the start. A straightforward job gets very complicated when Bunker is shot at, raising the alarm for Mosley (Willis). A cat and mouse game then occurs as Willis protects his witness, whilst unraveling the deepening mystery behind the chase. It's all made more intriguing when Eddie reveals that he is testifying against some dodgy officers, including Mosley's ex-partner…

Director Richard Donner, the man behind 16 Blocks, is also the man who brought us the original Buddy-cop movie (or certainly one of the more memorable ones) in the shape of Lethal Weapon (1987). Here, the partners are unlikely which is par-for-the-course, but are well defined in terms of characterization. Willis visibly gets into the role, and unlike his fellow Eighties action cohorts 'Sly' and 'Arnie,' he is willing to go the extra mile. Of course the thinning hairline might not have been through choice, but the rest is all character. It's a far cry from the 'Die Hard' heyday of jumping of buildings and landing on moving planes!

Die Hard (1988) and its following sequels is still the benchmark for all action movies. Also the film aims a little higher in that it hopes to be a sophisticated thriller as well, the signs are all a bit too obvious throughout to give it that edge. In the third Die Hard (With a Vengeance) (1995), Willis was running around New York City being chased by killers, with a black running pal, hell-bent on their demise. However, the difference here is that Mos Def's character, who although inexplicably hard to decipher at times, is entertaining and surprising able to provide the films sensitive core. Rather than going for the obvious racial differences, the film plays off the pair's understandable initial dislike to each other, which obviously thaws towards the end.

Some of the action in terms of the plotting does seem to be questionable. It does spring to mind that surely there must be quicker ways of getting to the courthouse than through the basement of a Chinese laundry, and as usual mobile phones prove to be more trouble than they're worth when actually needed (trust me, when being chased by bad guys, just drop the Nokia. The batteries going to run out or you'll get no reception or something even worse). Rumors are that the ending might have also been reshot, and they may well have chosen the wrong option here, but that's totally up to you.

That said the film is entertaining, otherwise well crafted, and for once makes good use of both the location and 'real-time' premise. Mos Def has also proven to be an actor with a great eye for picking challenging roles. From this action movie, to the controversial drama of The Woodmen (2004) and have course Hitchhiker's Guide to the galaxy (2005), he is definitely the best of the 'rappers-turned-actors' bunch. Willis is as good as ever, showing the typical range that has led many to believe he is underrated and often underused in his movies. His performance in 16 Block, if delivered by 'heavyweights' such as Russell Crowe or De Niro, would have got rave reviews, but because it's Willis one suspects it will be labeled as merely adequate.

The real surprise is that a director in his Seventies has delivered such a contemporary and entertaining film, which puts most of the younger batch of Hollywood filmmaker's to shame.