After Bruce Willis announced in March 2022 that he was retiring for health reasons, the time has come for many film lovers to delve a little deeper into the work of the bald cinema icon. Because it has a lot more to offer than just “Die Hard”, “Pulp Fiction” or “The Sixth Sense”. Today’s Wednesday (October 19) on Kabel 1 proves that, because there are two films with Bruce Willis running one after the other, which are rather untypical for the witty action hero.
The evening program starts at 8.15 p.m. with the thriller “16 Blocks”, which, thanks to its FSK 12 rating, is also shown completely uncut. This is followed by a real highlight from Bruce Willis’ work: From 10:30 p.m., the mystery drama “Unbreakable” by M. Night Shyamalan can be seen on Kabel 1. The uncut version will also be broadcast here. Alternatively, of course, you can also get the two films on Blu-ray and DVD via Amazon to watch them without advertising or in the original sound:
» Blu-ray & DVD at Amazon: “16 Blocks”* / “unbreakable”*
In “16 Blocks,” Bruce Willis slips into the role of burnt-out NYPD detective Jack Mosley. At first glance, his next assignment sounds quite simple: He is to drive petty criminal Eddie Bunker (Mos Def) from his cell to a court of inquiry so that he can testify there. The 16 blocks distance can easily be mastered in 15 minutes, but everything turns out differently. On the way, Mosley has to get more whiskey. And while the cop is in the liquor store, Bunker is assassinated and Mosley thwarts it.
In the hail of bullets, he flees with his prisoner to a bar and calls for backup. His longtime partner Frank Nugent (David Morse) wants to take over the affair, but his behavior quickly makes Mosley suspicious. Nugent wants to liquidate Bunker because he wants to testify in the trial against corrupt police officers. He gives Mosley a choice: play or die. An escape through the urban canyons of New York begins…
Even if “16 Blocks” by “Lethal Weapon” maker Richard Donner only gets a solid 3 out of 5 possible points in the official DashFUN review, Bruce Willis’ performance is being praised. This “delivers one of the best performances of his career. The mask transforms the superstar into a serious alcoholic, the nasty mustache and the thick belly do the rest to dismantle the otherwise action star. […] His character portrait is just worth seeing.”
David Dunn (Bruce Willis) is the only survivor of a train crash – and without a single scratch. It doesn’t take long for him to be visited by Elijah Price (Samuel L. Jackson), who runs a museum for comic book artists. Elijah, who has suffered from brittle bone disease since birth, reveals to David that he is unbreakable and therefore has the makings of a superhero like the mythological figures from legend stories and comics.
The withdrawn David doesn’t want to hear anything about this apparently crazy idea, but probing questions and thought-provoking remarks from Elijah make him investigate anyway. David has to realize that the odd comic book fan theory might well have some truth in it…
While ‘Unbreakable’ is far better known than ’16 Blocks’ – especially since Bruce Willis reappeared as David Dunn in ‘Split’ and ‘Glass’ – it gives us an even more atypical Willis than in Richard Donner’s action thriller. Here he doesn’t just play against his image on the outside, but also proves himself to be a subtle character actor. As with The Sixth Sense, which marks the first time Willis and M. Night Shyamalan have worked together, the focus is not on the spectacle. You can see how well this works in our official: 4 out of 5 star review:
*The links to the Amazon offer are so-called affiliate links. If you make a purchase through these links, we will receive a commission.