seymourblack-1
The late-1980s crack epidemic that had such a huge impact on many of the impoverished neighbourhoods of New York City created a new breed of gangster whose rise and fall followed the same trajectory that had been experienced by their more famous predecessors. The exploits of such men provide great material for movies but what distinguishes "New Jack City" from numerous other similar stories is the way that it balances all its elements so effectively. Its brisk pace and well-choreographed action sequences deliver plenty of excitement but the time devoted to character development and articulating its anti-drugs message also adds depth and weight to the whole undertaking. A similarly good balance is achieved in the way that the activities of the police and the criminals are presented.When crack cocaine starts to hit the streets of New York City, drug dealer Nino Brown (Wesley Snipes) is quick to recognise its potential and takes over an apartment building called "The Carter" which he converts into a crack factory with additional facilities for the sale and consumption of the product. The great popularity of crack and the ruthless way in which Nino eliminates his competitors soon brings him so much success that he becomes the city's leading drug lord and the police assemble a small team of undercover cops to bring Nino and his gang (known as the "Cash Money Brothers") to justice.Detective Stone (Mario Van Peebles), who assembles the special police unit, recognises the need to use officers who are streetwise and understand the mindset of the gangsters they're pursuing and so appoints maverick cops Scotty Appleton (Ice T) and Nick Peretti (Judd Nelson) who dislike each other but also have strong personal reasons for wanting to take Nino and his gang down. Scotty initially recruits an ex-crack addict called "Pookie" (Chris Rock) to infiltrate Nino's operation and he gathers some useful information before his proximity to so much crack leads him back into addiction and the end of his involvement in the police unit's work.Shortly after this set-back, Detective Stone disbands the special police team but Scotty decides to carry on the work and together with Nick, promotes distrust between Nino and his right-hand-man Gee Money (Allen Payne) as they gradually gather the evidence they need to bring down Nino who has now become so powerful that he thinks he's untouchable.Wesley Snipes is terrific as the despicable Nino who's smart, recognises the value of using conventional business practices and always has his finger on the pulse of what's going on around him. Additionally, however, he's also a cruel, violent megalomaniac who betrays three of the people who are closest to him and have supported him during his rise to power. The quality of the acting in this movie is consistently good but Chris Rock stands out as the jittery youngster (Pookie) who's completely out of his depth and Ice T is a great choice for his role as Scotty.The dialogue in "New Jack City" is sharp and realistic throughout and succinct in the way that it makes certain observations. It's rare for a movie of this type with so many characters to be able to deliver its story with so much punch, balance and clarity but that's exactly what it does and explains why it leaves such a lasting and favourable impression.
ttron2000
today, a great gangster movie (The Departed, American Gangster) feels rare. some so generic, it's "been there, done that" or "same old sh!t" or "who cares?," but when it's great, it's not just remembered, it's revered. New Jack City doesn't just match the aforementioned titles, but deserves a spot next to Scarface, The Untouchables, and (I dare say) The Godfather trilogy in terms of epic crime cinema. as helmed by the remarkable Mario Van Peebles, this underrated gem is smart, stylish, mean, violent, and even carries a cerebral message, covering so much ground in just its first act alone, examining every angle from the dawn of the crack era (late 80s to early 90s), the flash lifestyles of it's all-too-real villains, drug addiction, and the seemingly futile efforts at rehabilitation. brutal and truthful enough not to patronize, Van Peebles's bleak look at the damaging drug epidemic screams for a police victory against the one vicious criminal perpetuating things for no other motive than his own ambition. that criminal is Nino Brown (Wesley Snipes), a street-smart outlaw turned self-made drug czar so clever, he not only corners the drug trade, but dominates the competition by savagely butchering anyone in his path. so slick and methodical, Brown starts his regime by hijacking a large New York tenement project as his base of operations, its profits building an empire (known on the street as the CMB, Cash Money Brothers) worth millions. and while Brown relishes his lavish lifestyle, this not only angers the organized crime element, but forces the police, namely the determined Stone (Van Peebles), to resort to extreme measures. realizing the only way to beat Brown is by playing by his rules, Stone recruits two wild card cops to strip Brown of his throne. Scotty (Ice T) is a street-wise undercover cop with a hatred for Brown's particular type of scumbag, and Peretti (Judd Nelson), a borderline racist with a very dark past of his own, essentially have no rules and if it means sending the just-recovered crack head, Pookie (Chris Rock), into the depths of hell to get what they need to either catch or kill Brown, then it's a start. the movie isn't just a gangster flick or an anti-drug film (aside from Pookie's stint in rehab, it's rarely preachy), but a strong character piece. Brown, being the main focus, is anything but simple. we see him flourish while the neighborhood he controls goes to ruin and when business is good, he savors the flavor of friendship, especially with right-hand Gee Money (Allen Payne), only to choke on his own hypocrisy once Scotty and Peretti close in, turning Brown into a nasty and often violent monster. Snipes's portrayal of this iconic bad guy is fierce and unapologetic, both emotional and despicable, very human, but never redeemable, making you pray for Brown to receive his comeuppance, preferably if its bloody. arguably one of the most unappreciated performances of the time (I, for one, thought Snipes was nothing short of Oscar-worthy), this is one of the first villains that made me appreciate the worth of the bad guy while eagerly rooting for the heroes. it's not only villainy at its coldest, but Snipes at his finest. Ice T, Van Peebles, Rock, and Nelson provide excellent support and other class acts like Bill Nunn (as Brown's stuttering muscle) and Bill Cobbs (a citizen who easily hates Brown more than anyone in the movie) make unforgettable appearances. Van Peebles deserves more credit for this stellar film than he's received. this work of art should've catapulted him up there with names like Stone, DePalma, Mann, and Coppola. focused, devoted, and compelling, you have to love this man. even with its dark and often-enough, sad vibe, Van Peebles's gangster epic is very airtight with immense rewatch value. all that said, the last scene is really, really great. i'd say this is a must-see for fans of gangster flicks, but that's an understatement. it should be required viewing for any film fan and at the very least, respected for Snipes's venomous turn as one of the worst a$$holes in film. everybody needs to see this. in my humble opinion, it's a classic.
