New Jack City

For a film that tries to deliver a serious message it's a shame it gets so caught up in upping the violence and sensationalism. There's a good movie in here and the scenes on the drug dealer side of things are very well done, but the cop side is a pile of badly done cliches with some good moments thrown in. Not bad, but a wasted opportunity.

Probably not as cool as I remember, but this movie was the S**T when I was 16.

New Jack City takes a stab at commentating on the crack epidemic during the 80's and 90's in NYC. There are moments where the movie gives me pause to think about the lives destroyed by crack but the message wasn't strong. There are some strong moments in this movie. There are also some meme-able moments (I wanna shoot you so bad my dicks hard). There is also some pretty bad acting. Snipes, Rock, and Ice-T were all generally great. Nelson was forgettable and Van Peebles has never been good.

Anti-drug treatise is exceptional for the first half, providing a visceral, hard-hitting look at drug culture from several angles, and providing Rock with an unexpectedly raw and incandescent opportunity to flex his acting muscle. The second half unfortunately becomes somewhat more conventional and melodramatic, with a muddled and rushed courtroom climax that ultimately fails to resonate. Definitely worthy for the performances in general, and some stylish directorial choices from Peebles.

Pretty decent flick. Chris Rock's crackhead character is a highlight.

It's nice to put the DVD on and see Ice-T in a role you don't generally see him play on TV...

Silly but very entertaining (thanks to Snipes).

The anemic first act fortunately gives way to something more action-packed, but the writing and direction remain mediocre throughout. At heart, "New Jack City" is simplistic, derivative and preachy, and includes far too many scenes that just feel forced. It certainly tries to convey worthwhile messages about actual issues, it's just that dramatic slow-motion montages might not be the best way to achieve that. The acting's a little shaky too, except for lead Wesley Snipes, who delivers the goods.

Cliche-ridden and unrealistic.

Wesley Snipes and Ice-T. Drugs lord Nino Brown is battling to save his criminal empire and stay out of jail, but a former client has given the police a new lead in their bid to bring Brown to justice.

Bad acting and a clumsy screenplay don't matter that much with an atmosphere like this. Van Peebles directs with style.

+15 for the Chris Rock recuperation/training montage

A gangster classic from the 90's. It has a great cast and an even greater soundtrack. I remember watching this movie repeatedly when this came out on video and still do now on DVD. Wesley Snipes character Nino Brown is by far his best career performance that hasn't been topped since. "Am I my brother's keeper? Yes I am."

Chances are everyone will have forgotten this movie in ten years. I think it's a well-made, unpretentious police thriller. It helps a lot that Wesley Snipes has charisma to burn

Pretty solid genre film.

Bad acting, bad writing. Some mild entertainment is the only reason it's rated this high.

70.500

One of the modern great crime dramas.

I watched this movie because of the ‘Wesley Snipes crying and pointing a gun’ meme lol. It’s pretty entertaining when Snipes is onscreen but otherwise feels like fairly typical cops n gangsters fare. 100 minutes seems a bit too short for this kind of years-spanning gangland epic, with many plot arcs involving various infiltrations and wires and court cases and betrayals seeming to move at fast forward.

Wesley Snipes makes this movie in my mind. I don't know if I could ever have seen anyone else playing this lead role. I actually think I laughed more at Rock in this semi-serious role that he played as compared to all the dud movies he has put out. The story line isn't anything special, but scenes like when Snipes is in the court room make me sad to see him head to the pokey. Never was a big IceT fan (movies or music) but thought he did nothing to harm the film.

As a hip-hop fan, this movie is kinda woven into the DNA of the 90s/early 200s era. So there's a warm spot there.The acting isn't great. The directing is OK. Chris Rock is funny. I want to like this more, it's a 90s NYC crime film.

This film loses serious points for it's ending, they only need to cut a minute off it and it be a far superior film

New Cheese City, Cheddar County

Not bad.

71.750

The first gangsta street film of the 90s, it sometimes is weighed down by its message and mediocre direction, but it is nonetheless chilling. Watch for a surprising performance by Chris Rock.

Yeah, this is pretty much what I expected it to be.

I had this on repeat throughout my teen years--hadn't seen it since. Revisiting nearly 30 years later, I find myself annoyed with the melodramatic writing and the way the wheels of the plot grind in the second half. But the soundtrack still stands up, and I can appreciate Van Peebles' effort to show us a "black" world--one where good guys and bad guys alike are primarily black and have agency of their own. That the law lets them down in the end reminds us of the work yet to be done.

Mildly entertaining.

Bad writing, bad acting. Almost no redemptive qualities. The worst part of it is that, while it's really a piece of junk, it takes itself so seriously.

Decent enough, and Snipes stands out from a generally strong cast.

Loved when I was a teen, and won't watch again as otherwise I could spoil it.

Decent crime thriller