New Jack City

The ruthless leader of a New York City drug syndicate battles to maintain his power and avoid imprisonment in this fast-moving action drama. While the film's heroes are Scotty (Ice-T) and Nick (Judd Nelson), a pair of tough, streetwise cops, the main focus is their target, drug lord Nino Brown ...more

Director Mario Van Peebles' debut feature is far from original, but Wesley Snipes' charismatic performance, its nonstop action, rocketing pace, and anti-drug message all contribute to the impact of this well-executed genre film. A fusion of Scarface (1932), Public Enemy (1931), The Godfather (1972), and a dozen other gangster rise-and-fall sagas, it's both a glamorous chronicle of the swiftly burgeoning power of crack in the New York of the 1980s and a scathing cautionary tale. "Ya gotta rob to ...more