New Jack City details

New Jack City
Format: 18 DVD
Starring: Mario Van Peebles, Tracy Camila Johns, Vanessa L. Wi, Vanessa L. Williams, Chris Rock, Judd Nelson, Ice-T, Michael Michele, Wesley Snipes
Director: Mario Van Peebles
Genres: Drama - Crime, Thriller - General
Studio: WARNER HOME VIDEO
Name Discs
New Jack City
18 Feature
New Jack City - Bonus Feature
18 Bonus

DVD Information

Run time: 1 hour 36 minutes
Rental release: 01 Jul 1999
Main languages: English
Dubbed: French, Italian
Subtitles: Arabic, Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish
Hearing impaired subtitles: English, Italian
Write your own review

Most helpful review New Jack City

  • A good political message but otherwise substandard

    Rated - 1.0 star  
    By supershari from Middlesex , 05 Feb 2005

    [Highly rated reviewer]

    When New Jack City first hit the cinemas in 1991 it was hailed as a beacon of light illuminating for everyone the injustices occurring in poor predominately black neighbourhoods in America. Politically it tried to make a good point and it was helped significantly by its Rap affiliations, not only in the soundtrack but also via its lead stars such as Ice T.

    Looking back in hindsight, this film looks very dated and when we look beyond all the hype, the script and direction are both laughably substandard. I would call the Director, Mario Van Peebles, a one hit wonder, but this film is so poorly cut, the cinematography so hideous, the story so unrealistic, and the characters so cardboard-cut-out, that calling it a wonder is to do injustice to the action/crime/blaxploitation genre as a whole. I draw your attention to far more mature works such as Spike Lee’s Do the Right Thing (1989) and Jungle Fever (1991) and Malcolm X (1992) and notably John Singleton’s, Boys in The Hood, also from 1991 as being far better examples of the genre.
    • Was this review helpful to you?
    • (8) Yes |
    •  No (3)

All reviews

(17)
  • Probably the worst film I have ever seen

    Rated - 1.0 star  
    By a customer from England , 30 Nov 2007
    See the review heading. Enough said.
    • Was this review helpful to you?
    • (1) Yes |
    •  No (2)
  • Seems I have grown up since I last watched this

    Rated - 2.0 stars  
    By Andrew Smith from Lincoln, England , 05 Sep 2007
    I remember this being the first 18 I watched in the cinema and as a middleclass white 14 year old from Berkshire the black crack dealers of New York were people I could easily identify with. As it happens I remember this film being a lot better than it actually is, unsurprisingly Ice-T is pretty wooden, Welsey Snipes plays a decent role but this is one of those films not worth revisiting, unless you can remain amused by early nineties bling for a whole hour and a half.
    • Was this review helpful to you?
    • (2) Yes |
    •  No (0)
  • Dated, but still rated!

    Rated - 3.0 stars  
    By James from Nottingham , 29 Sep 2006
    Pretty cool action film from the 80's, with Ice-T and Wesley Snipes face off over crack dealing. Much of it looks horribly dated now - at times it's like watching Run DMZ take pot-shots at each other - but this film is fun.

    Something I found very funny, and which the makers of the film maybe didn't realise, is the way that Snipes's Nino Brown, a kind of black Tony Montana (similarly undone by arrogance and hubris), comes across as a typical 80's capitalist trader, complete with Reagonomics speechs and all. He takes 'high-powered board meetings' and outlines comprehensive 'corporate take-over plans'. Very funny.

    Other good things about this film? Chris Rock gets into a lot of trouble, which was great, and I was hoping for a really horrible death (sadly, this doesn't happen). Ice-T gets to point a gun at someone and say, 'I want to shoot you so bad my dick's hard', and the expression he's got on his face at that moment suggests he might not be lying...
    • Was this review helpful to you?
    • (1) Yes |
    •  No (0)
  • Classic

    Rated - 4.0 stars  
    By Steven Boyle from Fife, Scotland , 06 Jul 2006
    Anybody who is into their Hood style films, this is a must see!!!

    This is a Classic
    • Was this review helpful to you?
    • (0) Yes |
    •  No (0)
  • brilliant

    Rated - 4.0 stars  
    By brassodin (20 reviews) from GOSBERTON WESTHORPE, SPALDING , 27 Jun 2006
    If not their debut, it is one of wessely snipes and chris rocks first films. This is the only film in which chris rock does not irritate the hell out of me.

    Really good film, good plot, action. If you liked Menace to Society and Boyz in da Hood, then you'll love this.

    About a group who decied to take over the crack trade in a New York neighbourhood by taking out their rival cartels. The police then hire two AWOL cops to try and bring down their network.

    Good film which has not aged too much.
    • Was this review helpful to you?
    • (0) Yes |
    •  No (0)
 

Agree or disagree? Write your own review

Please sign in to LOVEFiLM to write your review

Sign in to LOVEFiLM

Not a member yet?

Sign up to start your 30-day FREE trial