Jack Mosley is an aging cop who has degenerated himself to a dead beat work horse of the police department. Indulging in drinking, even when he's working, Mosley is a man cruising along the rock bottom of his life and work. One day at work, Mosely gets another routine and uneventful assignment - bring a witness, some petty crook named Eddie, to court by 10am. He's got 118 minutes to do it and only has to go 16 blocks. Simple? Sure, Mosley even stops to pick up a bottle of booze along the way there. But then... the unexpected starts to happen and Mosely must snap out of his delirium because this witness is wanted dead. And not just by anyone, by fellow cops.<br /><br />Film goers might be initially unimpressed with this film where Bruce Willis plays a "lone cop at the bottom of the barrel." He's done the cop role many many times - Die hard 'nuff said - and the cop with problems is also a re-run from Willis - Strking Distance & Last Boy Scout. But don't let that get you down, this film is no way in the shadow of the mentioned films. Director Richard Donner directs the film with strong characterization while keeping the action exciting, but critically incidental to what the characters go through. A good example of this is the scene where Mosley realizes that he could very well be in deep sh*t as he just shot a guy who tried to kill his witness - a circling shot with dissolves whirls around Mosely who stands with jaw agape. No sound, the character is still, and really nothing obvious goes on in the frame, yet you still get the feeling that Mosely has: "holysh*t, I just shot that guy." You can tell that he pulled out his gun and fired like he was trained, but that critical realization afterward propels the film as much into the mind of Mosley and Eddie (who is also shocked here) as it propels into the street of lower Manhattan.<br /><br />Donner also chooses his settings carefully with key scenes taking place in basements and at Mosely apartment - not just in some random alleyway. The films takes leaps and dives throughout all of its settings like Mosely and Eddie do within themselves and this subtle touch is very effective. It shows how wild of ride it is for them, how low they have been driven by what they did or what has happened to them, and how close to home it may hit in the end. That makes this one of Bruce Willis's best performances. While not as high-octane as his many previous efforts, this film is clearly not meant to be, and that doesn't at all detract from the film's entertainment.<br /><br />And it is not just Willis giving a fine performance. David Morse gives a typically strong supporting role, but mention must be made of Mos Def. There have been plenty of action films with rappers and hip-hop stars, even two in late 2005, and a film goer can only be skeptical with Mos Def playing opposite Willis. But, in a pleasant surprise, Mos Def actually plays his part not just for the cool. In fact, he is kind of an annoying brat that you'd like to smack over the head. Especially if you're a cop trying to get him to court and bullets are flying at you. This refreshing approach breathes a sort of life into the movie and the film moves even farther from "goofy action movie" category. And don't get me wrong, I love goofy action movies - The Last Boy Scout is one of my all time favorites and so are Donner's Lethal Weapon films - but enough is enough and it is a real breath of fresh air to see a great action director, an action star, and a rapper (or hip hop guy, I am not good at distinguishing that sort of thing) deliver a film that is good both dramatically and action-wise. 8/10<br /><br />Rated PG-13: violence