1990 ushered in a decade of action packed and morbidly violent gangster-style films such as “Goodfellas” and “Natural Born Killers.” The decade also launched the career of independent director Quentin Tarantino, noted for films with near cartoonish violence such as “Reservoir Dogs,” “Pulp Fiction,” and “Jackie Brown.”
Before Tarantino made independent films coo,l there was Abel Ferrara and his foray into the 90s with the cult classic “King of New York.” Featuring a score of popular and talented actors in early roles like David Caruso, Wesley Snipes, Steve Buscemi, and Laurence Fishburne (who at the time was billed as Larry), “King of New York” also employs the divine talents of veteran actors Victor Argo and the great Christopher Walken.
The movie takes place in the dark and harrowing channels of New York City, which always looks like a treacherous and sinister place in the days before the joyful and giddy coffee shop conversation of shows like “Friends.” The first character we see is Frank White (Walken) as he is released from prison. With his slender build, pasty white skin, and large circular glasses, he looks like a big nerd. We quickly learn Frank is actually one of New York’s biggest drug kingpins and now that he is back on the streets he begins to reclaim his turf with a violent and bloody campaign against his rivals.
Frank dispatches his thugs, led by his top man Jimmy Jump (Fishburne) to wipe out the Colombians, the Triads, and the Mafia. Frank decides he wants to do some good for his community and plans to use money from his drug trade to fund a local hospital slated for closing. Detectives Bishop (Argo) Gilley (Caruso) and Flanigan (Snipes) are dumbfounded that people like Frank can flaunt their wealth and power to get away with murder and vow to bring him down for good – by any means necessary.
“King of New” York plays out like a typical 90s movie. There are no twists or deep character developments, just a group of good guys versus a group of bad guys. The acting and dialogue come off as unrealistic and many of the scenes are slow paced at best. The acting is so over the top it seems less like a look at gritty and violent urban drug crime and more like what a group of upper middle class suburban white kids would think is a realist depiction of gritty and violent urban drug crime.
Christopher Walken is a brilliant actor with a penchant for playing great villains. Victor Argo is sensational as the hard-nosed veteran NYPD detective. Young David Caruso, who would go on to fame as detectives on two different popular TV shows; “NYPD Blue” and “CSI Miami,” shows he is a highly talented actor. Fishburne may have been a victim of bad writing in the role of Jimmy Jump, a loud mouthed thug with a ridiculous thick gold chain around his neck that would make Flavor Flav blush; and as always Wesley Snipes is downright awful.
The best part of the movie is the ambiance of old New York which just looks and feels so great, its cold and heartless backdrop deserves co-billing at the top with Walken. Playing out like the video game “Grand Theft Auto 3,” “King of New York” is definitely a ‘Man Movie’ with its violence, language, and general lack of reality.
– by Matt Christopher
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