New Jack City (1991) ****

I recently re-watched this classic, and I have to say that I would consider it one of the essential gangster movies.

Wesley Snipes plays Nino Brown, a street-level, Harlem drug dealer whose friend and partner, Gee Money (Allen Payne) introduces their business to the possibilities of a new form of cocaine, crack. The drug sells like, well, like crack, and soon their gang, the Cash Money Brothers, are taking over a housing project, manufacturing their own rock, and making millions. It's a classic rise-and-fall gangster story, in the tradition of Greek tragedy, a tale of hubris and greed.

It's amazing how much star power this low-budget ($8 million) production brings together, and how many careers it launched. Mario Van Peebles acts and directs (his debut as a film director). Judd Nelson plays a cop with attitude, actually pretty much the same character as his famous thug in “The Breakfast Club.” Snipes is magnetic as Nino, borrowing a bit from Pacino's Scarface and De Niro's Capone, but grounding his character in the streets of Harlem.

Ice-T is now known for his acting, after years of movies and TV cop shows, but in 1991 he was a gangsta rapper. His infamous song “Cop Killer” hadn't come out yet, but he definitely wasn't anyone's idea of a boy in blue. Casting him as an undercover detective was a stroke of genius and a risk. Legend has it that he got the role when Mario Van Peebles overheard him talking shit in a nightclub bathroom, and realized that was the perfect voice and attitude for his movie. He absolutely owns the role, and it's easy to see why his acting career took off after “New Jack City.”

It's Chris Rock, however, who makes the biggest breakthrough in this film. His portrayal of crack addict, Pookie, is chilling and heartbreaking. I imagine his performance kept more kids off crack than a dozen “Just Say No” speeches.

For that matter, this film may have done more than the news media to bring the reality of the crack epidemic home to middle America. I can't vouch for the veracity, but the film hits you in the face with the scope of the problem, while humanizing it.

As a gangster movie, New Jack City is not nearly as tightly-crafted as, say “Miller's Crossing” or “Goodfellas.” The plot frequently dips into the improbable, until finally flirting with self-parody. Significant suspension of disbelief will be required, but it's worth it for this essential film of great performances, great style, and a bangin' hip-hop soundtrack.

4 stars out of 5