Viewed in
2013
Formats
HDTV
Premise
Wesley Snipes stars as a crime lord ascending to power and while a maverick police detective (Ice T) vows to stop him.
Liked
Nostalgic cast, serious urban themes.
Disliked
Incongruous action scenes.
Thoughts
It's a solid movie.
The cast was an interesting group. Wesley Snipes made for a really charming kingpin. A pity he never really took on more riskier bad guy roles (aside from Demolition Man). By now, we're used to Ice T as an actor, but back then I imagine it was a bigger surprise that he could hold his own against Snipes. Judd Nelson also, showed some unexpected edgy chops as the wild card.
Seeing so many 1990's hip-hop/R&B performers throughout the film was amusing, especially Keith Sweat and Flava Flaaaaaaaaav! Chris Rock played a small role. Not surprisingly his acting was so-so. Back then we probably would've raved about his potential as a movie star. Heh.
I appreciated the serious themes the writers and Mario Van Peebles integrated into the story. It definitely didn't sugarcoat the War on Drugs, crack epidemic in urban America, and black-on-black violence. At times, it felt like a play, as characters pontificated lyrically about the plight of the underprivileged.
Unfortunately, the movie had an identity issue, oscillating between gritty realism and Hollywood blockbuster. The gunfights played like summer action flicks, bad physics and all. And at times, the characters behaved in broad, cartoony strokes.
It's cool to see a black-heavy cast movie that wasn't just going through the motions. Director Mario Van Peebles definitely had big ambitions and ideas. While it didn't succeed at all times, New Jack City was an interesting watch, thanks to good acting and strong themes that are still relevant, and aren't expressed enough in cinema.
