Last night we rented 16 Blocks, a movie that got pretty good reviews but for some reason, came and went at the box office faster than Captain Jelly Belly can down a plate of french fries. I liked it — it wasn’t anything too groundbreaking but it was a well-paced little thriller with some great acting and interesting characters. Plus, it has Bruce Willis as its star, and I love me some Bruce. In fact, I declare that Bruce Willis is one actor — possibly the only actor — that can get me interested in a project just by attaching his name to it. Who knew?

Sidebar: Bruce will be playing my friend Dave in a movie about Dave’s life. And while I’m at it, I’ll mention that Kyra Sedgwick has just signed to play RheostaticsFan in a movie about her life.

Anyway, the thing I love about Bruce is the Iconic Bruce Willis Character. Like the big movie stars from the 40s and 50s, Bruce can always be counted on to play a variation of the same guy — that guy who is having a very bad day, but who is still going to find the strength to stand up for what is right. I eat that kind of thing right up with a spoon and chocolate chips on top.

I just finished reading Roger Ebert’s review of 16 Blocks. Near the end he sums up the standard Bruce guy perfectly:

“He gets that look in his eye that says: It’s going to be a pain in the ass for me to do this, but I couldn’t live with myself if I didn’t.”

Love it!