The strengths of Boyz 'N the Hood were characters and plot. Here, although Nick Gomez is working with two teenage protagonists that would seemingly fit in with the Hood crowd, he doesn't display any particular skill for creating multi-dimensional personalities, and the storyline is pedestrian. What New Jersey Drive does well, however, is present a perspective. By the end of the film, you may not sympathize with Jason, but you will understand him. All that happens in New Jersey Drive is skewed to give a participant's view of life on the streets.
Every cop is portrayed as a racist.
The cops are the enemy, and these two can't afford to see anything other than the negatives about Roscoe and his co-workers. Looking through the eyes of the protagonists, neither can we. Though it follows the exploits of petty criminals and bent cops, New Jersey Drive never loses its moral perspective. For, while the story of New Jersey Drive lacks originality, the manner in which it is presented offers a fresh, and sometimes jarring, point of view.