New Jack City
1991, R, 97 min.
Directed by Mario Van Peebles, Narrated by , Voices by , Starring Wesley Snipes, Ice-T, Chris Rock, Judd Nelson, Allan Payne, Van Peebles.

Van Peebles is well-aware of the legacy he’s been handed. Van Peebles and writers Thomas Lee Wright and Barry Michael Cooper lose their handle on the buddy theme, allowing it to turn into formulaic mush and embarrassing confidences exchanged when the action drags, but they kick butt when they draw the battlelines. The filmmakers pull out the stops to get their message across; take back the streets, neighborhoods and communities so we can go back to living where Spike Lee says we do. Where one filmmaker holds up the standard, these guys sound the charge.

***½ 

This article appears in January 24 • 2003.

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