Wesley Snipes Movie:

Editorial Review:
This low-budget crime thriller has the feel of a major blockbuster and owes its roots to the hard-edged crime movies of the 1930s. Christopher Walken stars as a drug kingpin who is released from prison and vows to use his position and influence--and criminal enterprise--for charitable means. But a core group of New York cops are all over him and his gang, determined to go to war, whatever the cost, to bring him down. Eventually his empire--headquartered at, of all places, Donald Trump's Plaza Hotel--crumbles under the weight of double-crossing and a body count of open warfare with the cops. This is one of the most stylish films of the last decade, with a strong supporting cast (including Lawrence Fishburne, Wesley Snipes, and David Caruso) and some truly enthralling set pieces, including a stunning car chase and gunfight across a rain-soaked Queensboro Bridge. The film's tongue-in-cheek, over-the-top style offsets its nihilism; and its riveting visuals will have audiences hooked from beginning to end. --Robert Lane

King of New York Reviews:
1990 crime flick surprises
2009-09-21 - This cultish film stars Christopher Walken in one of his most memorable roles as the gangster Frankie White. The movie opens with Frankie being freed from prison and reestablishing his presence in the the New York world of crime. Somewhat oddly enough he wants to clean up things and help build a hospital in a destitute part of the city. But he gets little respect from those now occupying the various parts of the city, and this leads to his systematic slaughter of one crime lord after another, including members of the police force who wish to rid the city of him.

There are many early film appearances by actors like Steve Buscemi, Wesley Snipes, Larry Fishburne, and David Caruso in this movie. Abel Ferrara's film surprises with its excellent car chase segment, gun fights, and dark travels through the bowels of New York. A segment of the classic black and white film "Nosferatu" appears on screen which acts as a clue to the director's influences. The "King of New York" embraces the shadows and blue monochromes of a nightclub in homage to early film history. Martin Scorsese comes to mind when watching this film, especially with a film like "Taxi Driver", which ends with the spiraling camera. Here too is a unique ending as Frankie is left alone in the taxi cab, his life fading, as the police officers surround him in growing numbers in this crowded and choked street of blocked vehicles.

This is a surprisingly engaging, and violent film, that has influenced other film makers, like Quentin Tarantino. The blu-ray quality of this movie isn't too special as the original film has a rough and grainy quality which isn't enhanced much with blu-ray. There are additional features like "A Short Film about the Long Career of Abel Ferrara", and "The Adventures of Schoolly D: Snowboarder".

Intermittently brilliant, stylish, though ultimately rather muddled gangster film
2009-09-18 - At the time I first saw this, on original release almost 20 years ago, I had little or no patience for hip hop - the culture or the music - and I really didn't get the gangster genre. I'm not sure if I felt that the film glorified gangsterism, or if it was that it was mostly full of repellent characters...can't really say what, all told, turned me off so much, but my memory of it was very harsh. Having become somewhat interested in both director Abel Ferrara and star Christopher Walken since then, a rewatch was in order.

Walken plays Frank White, the ironically-named gangster who is seen leaving prison in the opening shots of the film and heading back into New York City to regain control of his mostly black gang of drug dealers. One of his rivals gets rubbed out spectacularly in a phone booth, signaling that an era of (apparently) relative peace has ended as the charming, somewhat nutty, and very afro-centric Frank makes his return.

I haven't quite figured out what Ferrara and writer Nicholas St. John were aiming at by having Frank surround himself with African-Americans, being insulted at various points for being a "ni--er lover", adopting certain stereotypically black forms of behavior. It's interesting - for all his faults, Frank's not a racist, and in fact the film seems almost colorblind, apart from the other gang leaders who Frank intimidates and occasionally murders to show his power. Up against Frank and his two most trusted lieutenants Jimmy Jump (Larry Fishburne) and Joey Delasio (Paul Calderon) are Detective Roy Bishop (Victor Argo) and his two top men Thomas Flanigan (Wesley Snipes) and Dennis Gilley (David Caruso), and the film is at pains to portray the cops as almost as thuggish as - if a bit less lethal than - Frank and his goons. We also find out fairly quickly that Frank means to take a fair part of his drug money and leave it to a badly needed hospital in his neighborhood.

So there's an attempt here at showing a multifaceted, complex man who happens to be a murderous drug lord, but also has his human side. Except it doesn't - quite - work. There's no real sense of who Frank is, why he wants to build this hospital, where he comes from; it just seems like a personal quirk, and personal quirks that end up costing millions of dollars and lots of lives really need some explaining. None of the other characters register as anything beyond archetypes either (Caruso as the hot-headed Irish cop, Snipes as the cool cat partner, etc). Finally the film feels mostly like an excuse for its several excellent violent set pieces - a shootout at a big drug deal in a warehouse, an exciting street chase by car and then on foot in the rain, Frank's final confrontation with Roy - and some solid proto-gangsta styling from Schooly D.

The photography (by Bojan Bazelli) is absolutely stunning - this is one of the best looking nighttime-in-New York films I've seen, the actions sequences are exciting, and the performances mostly solid with Walken being compelling if a bit too enigmatic to make us really feel anything much about him. Perhaps that's the point? It doesn't seem like enough to me. But on the whole, the film works as a good stylish genre exercise with an interesting racial feeling. It's just something about nothing, ultimately.

Well I'm glad I re-saw this. Though I wouldn't say it gets close to greatness, it certainly left me with a different feeling than it did 18 or 19 years ago. It's really between a 3- and 4- star rating, and I'm being generous and giving it the higer mark in part because this is a nicely packaged DVD, with a solid transfer (including a second version of the film which I haven't watched yet - apparently with only minimal differences), a lengthy and informative documentary, School D video, etc. Good job.

It was all good, but it could be better.
2009-08-31 - I mean i love watching gangster pictures like this one. The movie was straight when i watch this on demand. Even the sceene was good. But at the end was kind of ridiculous. It could have ended differently. Thats why i gave it 3 stars. Although i will buy this movie for my friends birthday yaa know so he could look at something like this. He even loves gangster movies to. But the movie was good though but it could do just a little bit better. I mean like i said it ain't better than Scarface, New Jack City, or American Gangster with Danzel Washington. Other than that i enjoy watching movies on demand on amazon. Big up to Lawrence Fishburne and Wesly Snipes who played the part in this movie. And nice part that Christopher Walken played. Thanks amazon video on demand.


De'Vear Small
Representing Decatur GA

The King Of New York now on Blu Ray at a great low price!!!
2009-05-17 - Great job Lionsgate!!! This is a great Blu Ray release of the 90's classic "King Of New York": starring Christopher Walken and Larry Fishburne.This great disc has great PQ,sound and supplimental material,and it's available at a great low price!!! A+

5 Star Flick
2009-05-15 - This movie is a young Walken at his best. The rest of the cast is mediocre but it's a couple hours of watching Walken be his greatest character. I wish the character could have pull a Freddy Kruger and come back to life for 5 or 6 sequels.