New Jack City

Plot synopsis:
Nino Brown (Wesley Snipes) is an up-and-coming drug pusher. His brother and right-hand-man, Gee Money (Allen Payne) introduces Nino to a new drug: freebased "crack" cocaine, which Gee says is cheaper to produce and more potent than regular cocaine and is taking the poor neighborhoods of New York by storm. Nino and Gee decide to take over an entire apartment building in Harlem called The Carter for their base of operations. He and Gee Money and Duh Man (Bill Nunn) go about getting cooperation through violence and coercion. Together they drive out any protesting tenants and other crime lords, terrorizing and shooting them openly on the streets in full view of local witnesses.After a few years where Nino expands his empire and crack addiction has reached epidemic proportions, Detective Stone (Mario Van Peebles) wants to bring Nino to justice, but no one on the police force is crazy enough to go against Nino. Scotty Appleton (Ice-T), a plain clothes cop who is currently serving a suspension for shooting an unarmed suspect who ran during a failed drug deal. Stone convinces Scotty to infiltrate Nino's organization, with the help of another burned-out cop, Nick Paretti (Judd Nelson).Frankie Needles (Anthony DeSando) visits Nino to deliver a message from the mob - Nino isn't paying the percentage any more. Nino sends him away scornfully, and Frankie advises Don Armeteo (John Aprea), the mob boss. Meanwhile, Scotty and Peretti watch Nino giving out food to the poor, including Pookie (Chris Rock), the young addict Scotty had shot. Scotty recruits Pookie, weaning him off crack and rehabilitating him. Pookie obtains a low-level job working for Gee Money at the Carter. Pookie later explains how to get into the hotel and the setup for distributing crack. Park (Russell Wong) has some hi-tech toys for Pookie to surveil the premises.Nino is celebrating his success and expressing his friendship with Gee Money. However, he has eyes for Gee Money's girlfriend, Uniqua (Tracy Camilla Johns). Nino's girl Selina (Michael Michele) becomes jealous.Pookie gets inside, doing menial jobs at first. However Gee Money doesn't trust him fully. Pookie lands a job in the drug distribution area, but starts sneaking drugs and becomes addicted again. Gee Money finds the surveillance device and realizes he's a plant. Gee Money evacuates the area and sets explosives on Pookie's dead body to destroy the building. Scotty and his men enter and try and find evidence and defuse the bomb, but Pookie is dead.Nino is enraged, and threatens Gee Money. Scotty blames himself for Pookie's death, and vows to continue the investigation, despite Stone's orders. Peretti agrees to help. They enlist Frankie to arrange a meet with Gee Money, posing as big-time buyers who want to cut a side deal with Gee. Scotty gets in with Nino, even protecting him from an irate man (Bill Cobbs). He seeds of doubt into Nino's mind about Gee Money. One night Scotty and Nino hang out on the roof talking about how they both came up. Nino tells Scotty about how he joined his first gang: the gang leaders ordered him to kills someone with one hitch; it had to be a total stranger. Nino, high on coke, killed a woman walking home at night with a bag of groceries. The woman was Scotty's own mother. Scotty decides to hold his fury in check until he and his crew can bust Nino for trafficking and higher crimes.Peretti breaks into Nino's safe during a wedding and finds financial records on disk. The Italian mob shows up at the wedding disguised as caterers & tries to kill Nino, and he uses a child as a shield to escape. Keisha is killed during the attack, and a war between Nino's Cash Money Brothers (CMB) and Don Armeteo's gang erupts.Scotty and Peretti meet with Stone and arrange to set Nino up. During the deal, Kareem (Christopher Williams) identifies Scotty, remembering Scotty shooting Pookie on the street, and a shootout ensues. Park is killed, then Duh Man, and Peretti saves Scotty's life.Gee Money and Nino meet later, and Gee accuses Nino of forgetting their friendship. Nino regretfully kills him. Scotty and Peretti track him down in his apartment and attack him, Scotty forcing Nino & himself out of a second story window. Scotty beats him up and arrests him at the feet of an old man (Bill Cobbs) who'd been trying to get the city police to stop Nino in the old Carter headquarters. While he has Nino pinned to the sidewalk, he tells him that he knows Nino murdered his mother. Peretti talks Nino down, preventing him from killing the gangster.Nino stands trial and to the astonishment of the courtroom, accuses Kareem of being the head of CMB. He pleads to a lighter sentence, but is killed by the Old Man as he leaves the courtroom. Scotty and Peretti leave, satisfied, and the credits roll after a title card explaining that gangsters like Nino exist in every major city in America and that the crack epidemic will only get worse.

Tags: comedy, cruelty, neo noir, murder, cult, sadist, violence, flashback, humor, revenge, blaxploitation

Review:
New York City, 1986 and crack cocaine is the drug of choice and Nino Brown (Snipes) and his gang, the Cash Money Brothers, are building a violent empire and cornering the market.
While some of the key characters that form Nino's gang are under developed, Peebles does garner a great performance out of Snipes and very good turns from Ice-T and Nelson.
Van Peebles directs a great cast in this detached-from-reality film about a truly evil drug-lord with a head for business and murder (Snipes), and a tough, street-wise pair of cops (Ice-T and Judd Nelson) hell-bent on bringing him down.
Like many of the more intelligent films made in the early 1990s, New Jack City is also an indictment of the euphoria of the Reagan years - telling the true story of what that time was like for those living from paycheck to paycheck, or trying to live without one, and dealing with the invisible "war on drugs" which had little to no effect on anybody in our inner-city neighborhoods.Snipes, Ice-T, Allen Payne and Chris Rock give stand-out performances, and the rest of the cast provide excellent support.
When New Jack City was released I was fascinated by the characters and mesmerised by its power – I was also 17.Now almost 20 years on I see some of the flaws and broad strokes used that detract a little from the effectiveness of the film, but it is still a pretty solid genre piece with a standout performance from Wesley Snipes in what turned out to be a career defining role.A great opening sequence introduces us to Nino Brown on the job.
These three are leader Detective Stone (Mario Van Peebles), maverick black cop Scotty Appleton (Ice T) and maverick white cop Nick Peretti (Judd Nelson).These three spend most of each day debating race and drugs, without ever seeming to think "Gee maybe if we take down the apartment building drug complex that might do some good".As the cops escalate things by getting a reformed crack addict named Pookie (Chris Rock) to infiltrate the Carter and report back, tensions increase between power hungry Nino and former best bud Gee Money.
In 1991 I had no idea just how broadly stereotyped the characters were, all Nino seems to do is play basketball and watch Scarface, and the less said about the Italian Mafia the better.New Jack City hasn't dated like the flat top haircuts and formation dancing that both appear in the film, but certain scenes pop and Wesley Snipes puts in an over the top performance as the insanely confident and driven Nino Brown that serves as the centrepiece of the film.Final Rating – 7.5 / 10.
Wesley Snipes gets the lion's share of acting honors for his role as Nino Brown in New Jack City.
The film only faulted with a few minor things like the ending which probably everyone saw coming however have said that , New Jack City was from time when I was growing up where the word 'cool' was at an all time high with wacky track-suits and hair cuts but the rap music still has not lost its shine along with a very sharp anti-drugs message.
I would recommend this one to fans of blaxpoltation,Law and Order and also gangster flicks or just for Snipes performance alone as you will watch one man who exploits the misery of others as a business opportunity all in the name of the American Way!NEW JACK CITY : 8.6 OUT OF 10'You gotta rob to be rich in the Reagan Era!' - Nino Brown (played by Wesley Snipes).
STAR RATING:*****Unmissable****Very Good***Okay**You Could Go Out For A Meal Instead*Avoid At All CostsNew Jack City is The Untouchables for the black community right down to the last tee.Wesley Snipes is playing Robert De Niro's part as Al Capone,while Mario Van Peebles is the Elliot Ness of the story,making for a black man's Kevin Costner (what a concept).As the director of the film as well,Peebles has also updated it to the more modern time of 1986.And the film he has crafted is an impressive tale of the futility of anti-drug initiatives in the US,gang violence,dealer rivalry and hypocrisy.Peebles' direction is stylish,if a little uneven,and the film has a cool visual style to it,with catchy camera angles and a few enjoyable viserical shots,kind of ahead of it's time in the pre-Matrix days of 1991.This is matched by a cool,absorbing hip-hop/R'nB soundtrack that plays through a lot of the scenes in the film,adding a believable feel to the black crime scene that is being portrayed.There is,of course,a heavy amount of violence and bad language in the film,so any extreme prudes should probably steer clear,but this is ultimately necessary to convey the reality at the heart of the story,and not in any way immensely gratuitous.On the performances front,Snipes is ideally cast as the cool-as-ice gangster crimelord,practically playing him in his sleep,while fine support comes from Peebles,Ice-T and Judd Nelson as the men in charge of bringing him down.A good few years before he started over-working his flamboyant funnyman act,another surprisingly great,and non-funny performance comes from Chris Rock as a young junkie desperate to kick the habit and help the cops stop Snipes and his drug dealing operations.It's similarity to and feel of being a remake of The Untouchables for black people ultimately does underwhelm it somewhat,but it is still nevertheless a fairly brilliant film that is distinctly aimed at the problem it is targeting and is very distinctly 1991.****.
The story, in most ways, strains believability only as much as movies always do to keep us, the audience, excited and involved.Snipes does a good early turn as Nino Brown, we could see here that he was going places.
Thirdly, blacks being targeted for drug charge arrests is a way to control what Marx calls the Surplus Population-the people that society doesn't really need.It can also be looked at like this, our criminal justice system is controlled by professional white males and a Nino Brown-one who makes it out of poverty by alternative means is an affront to the system that put the white professional in power because they consider it cheating and they feel that he doesn't have a place at their table because he is black.
However, they do redeem themselves with a violent confrontation between Nino Brown and an elderly World-War II veteran who had been evicted from the apartment building that the CMB now occupied and who had since been hounding him with phrases like (and this is not an exact quote), "Your soul is required for a meeting in Hell, you idolater."I suggest that you look past Judd Nelson's weak acting and the cut-and-paste ending and check this movie out.
Nino Brown (Wesley Snipes)is a drug lord who takes over a city by using the Carter Building to produce and sell crack cocaine.
Sadly where New Jack City really falls apart is when you take away all the gloss and the polish and look at the bare bones of the product.The film puts most of its focus on Nino Brown which is fine, but it doesn't afford him much development turning what should be a complex drug-lord into a rather simplistic character.I would have preferred it if Brown was fleshed out a bit and made a bit more interesting which at least would have made the story a bit more involving.
Mario Van Peebles made his feature film directorial debut in New Jack City where he also co-stars with Ice T, Judd Nelson, Chris Rock and Wesley Snipes in this urban thriller dealing with the rise of a black gangster from the mid 1980s in New York City as he deals in crack cocaine and takes out the competition.Wesley Snipes is the smart but ruthless aspiring Crime Lord very much modelled on Al Pacino's Scarface.
However the film also introduces elements of The Untouchables as Ice T and Judd Nelson play combative detectives in a crime unit trying to bring the gang down.The film was very hip when it was released as it starts with fast cuts, hip hop music and strong violence as it sets out its stall but as the film progresses things are more measured as the pace slows down to introduce drama as the police try to close in on Nino who starts having problems of his own as schisms start to appear in his gang.The film is uneven, Snipes is very good but Ice T is not.
New Jack City continues to find ways to be more and more noteworthy, right down to its director, noted blaxploitation pioneer Mario Van Peebles, who uses a genre once largely confined to joke and ridicule to great, serious effect with this particular film.
The only difference is it seemed this film was more understood and digested than the other film, for I've never seen merchandise glorifying Nino Brown like I have Tony Scarface.New Jack City follows the gang known as the Cash Money Brothers, the dominant drug gang in New York City during the early days and succeeding years of the crack epidemic that ended lives, worsened poverty, and worked to cripple the lives of many affected by it, directly and indirectly.
In addition, Van Peebles brings an equally subtle mix of blaxploitation style to his directorial approach to this material, centering a movie on a common urban problem and portraying it as it really was - often horrifying and crippling.New Jack City, however, is far from perfect in any sense.
With Rock's performance being frequently outlandish and distracting, we almost forget how great of an impact Snipes or Ice-T can have, especially Snipes, portraying an enigmatic drug dealer with a brash convincing way about him.The tonal inconsistency is New Jack City's major problem, but its commonality makes it only more noteworthy than it already was, exploring a time period that wasn't talked about or portrayed in film until it became something that couldn't be ignored.
Despite the glaring issue, there's a refreshing honesty with the film that, in itself, defines why the film has gained such a massive following over time and serves as one of the nineties best films in terms of depicting a culture and a serious national problem.Starring: Wesley Snipes, Ice-T, Chris Rock, and Judd Nelson.
Uneven but Engaging Crime Story Set on the Streets of the City from First Time Director Mario Van Peebles and Starring an Electric Wesley Snipes with a Debut Acting Gig from Ice-T and Some Support from Comedian Chris Rock in a Deadly Serious Role.
New Jack City is an excellent and stylish Gangster film/Crime Drama classic that combines great direction,a wonderful cast,intense Action and a fantastic score and soundtrack.
All of those elements make New Jack City an great movie and a an unforgettable Gangster saga.Set in New York City during the late 1980s and early 90s,New Jack City tells the story of Nino Brown(Wesley Snipes),a charismatic Gangster who is the leader of the organization CMB(Cash Money Brothers)and begins making and selling crack on the streets becoming more successful.
While Nino is running his empire,a group of cops led by NYPD cop Scotty Appleton(Ice-T)who are watching Nino's every move and want to bring Nino down at all costs.New Jack City is a terrific Gangster/Crime Drama that was the directorial debut of actor Mario Van Peebles and truly came out at the right place at the right time in 1991 because the film was released at the height of the Crack epidemic which was destroying America and putting money in Drug dealers pockets and while New Jack City doesn't give viewers a deep message or social commentary or do anything new in terms of the Gangster movie genre,the film gives viewers solid entertainment and style that keeps you glued to the screen throughout.
New Jack City is also a movie that is stylish and bigger than life where everything in the crime and drug world including money,clothes and the way Nino Brown and his associates live are so colorful with the colors blue and red to the point where you as the viewer want to live that lifestyle but NJC also reminds us of the consequences of living the life of a Gangster and that in the criminal world there are no happy endings or hopeful optimism.
Nino Brown is a classic character that you never forget after watching the film and is one of the things that makes New Jack City the classic that it is.
Snipes acting in "New Jack City" is very good (and he acts, not like in other movies such as "Blade"), and the actors that join him too (the always efficient Ice-T,Mario Van Peebles,Chris Rock,etc).
The police are struggling to make any impact so Detective Stone turns to rouge cops Scotty and Nick to team up and take him down.Just in case you didn't get the references, Mario Van Peebles helpfully includes a clip of Scarface for us during this film and has his Nino Brown ape Pacino.
Nino Brown (Wesley Snipes in what could be his best role) is the main drug dealing crime lord who has the entire city in the palm of his hand.
Rated R for strong violence,drug content,sensuality and language I saw New Jack City almost two years ago on BET.What angers me is that BET edits their films for language and sexual content.Though notably not for the graphic violence.New Jack City is an excellent movie with strong performances from Judd Nelson and Ice-T who are police officers,Chris Rock who is a crack-addict and Wesley Snipes who plays drug lord Nino Brown.The film is basically about policemen who try to bring down the drug lord Nino Brown.I don't remember much of this film as I saw it a while ago.But what I can tell you is that the film is very entertaining and has excellent acting and a great storyline.If you like films like "Scarface" I recommend this..
"New Jack City" is a decent, edgy modern gangster movie which tries to instruct about how terrible drugs are and at the same time be entertaining.
I especially liked the touch where he was playing Sacrface on his TV every time it was on.On the other side was Ice-T, Mario Van Peebles and Chris Rock in his first real role, trying to bring him down.You know how these movies turn out, especially when Snipes gets off with a year in jail.
Wesley Snipes is cool-as-ice drug kingpin with a pension for using uzis, while Ice-T, Judd Nelson, and Mario Van Peebles team up to take down the sly dope-runner.Though everybody in this movie does a great job at their roles, there is a little bit of miscasting.
The epidemic of crack-cocaine in the early 90's was terrible, and the film shows this quite well in a few scenes, such as the courtyard or the "enterprise", yet instead of focusing on these "real" characters, we are forced to see Wesley Snipes give a predictable maniac/bad guy performance.
Ice-T and Judd Nelson co-stars as well as two unorthodox cops who want to lock up Nino Brown and Chris Rock does a fine job in a supporting role as a dealer turned junkie.
Its about a drug lord Nino Brown (Snipes) who takes over new jack city's drug enterprise, meanwhile director plays a cop who hires street cops Ice-T and Judd nelson to infiltrate his family and bring him down.
Ice-T also gives a great performance as the streetsmart cop out to get him, and the supporting cast (Mario Van Peebles, Judd Nelson, Chris Rock) is excellent.
Wesley Snipes Ice-T, and Judd Nelson give great performances as the drug kingpin and cops.
Wesley Snipes who played "Nino Brown", is perhaps the best actor in movie and is truly the star of the film.
Through it borrows heavily from such gangster movies as "Scarface." New Jack City is a good film that teaches (without preaching) the dangers of drug use and those individuals who would use it for their own gain.
Wesley Snipes, Mario Van Peebles, Ice T, Judd Nelson, Bill Nunn, Bill Cobbs and a young Chris Rock make for a crime drama with admirable range.
The only problem with some viewers being that it sometimes feels more like a television drama than an actual movie, but that has never bothered me since 'New Jack' delivers on so many levels, providing chills with both drama and action.I'd recommend this film if you've a fan of Wesley Snipes as the villain, which he's done successfully on numerous occasions because he steals the show so often with his fine performance of the egotistical and cocky Nino Brown.
You can laugh at Mario Van Peebles as much as you want, but he did a pretty fine job directing his first film NEW JACK CITY.
Wesley Snipes is very good as the high-on-power drug-lord Nino Brown and Ice-T is perfect as the streetwise undercover cop Scotty Appleton.
Brown is also under investigation by detectives Scottie Appleton (Ice-T) and Detective Stone (Mario Van Peebles, who also directed this movie) who also have an informant named Pookie (Chris Rock).
It is funny to me but prior to watching this movie I never thought of ever seeing Wesley Snipes as a gangster, and Chris Rock in a dramatic role altogether but in their cases their performances exceeded my own expectations, but Ice-T i'm used to playing as a cop because of his work on "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit".
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.