New Jack City (1991)
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An undercover detective infiltrates a powerful drug lord's gang to dismantle a crack cocaine empire in Harlem.
The story
In the New York City neighborhood of Harlem, Nino Brown and his gang, the Cash Money Brothers (CMB), become the dominant drug ring once crack cocaine is introduced to the streets. Nino converts the Carter apartment complex into a drug house, forcing out tenants and the landlord. Meanwhile, Scotty Appleton, an undercover NYPD detective, attempts to make a deal with a stick-up kid named Pookie. After Pookie is released on bail, Appleton eventually volunteers to infiltrate Nino's gang while on suspension, partnering with a loose cannon named Nick Peretti to bring down the criminal organization.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Nino Brown and the Cash Money Brothers (CMB) seize control of Harlem's drug trade. While Nino establishes his empire at the Carter apartment complex, NYPD detective Scotty Appleton goes undercover with Nick Peretti. Appleton recruits Pookie, a crack addict, as an informant. After Pookie is killed in a booby-trapped explosion at the Carter, Appleton and Peretti go undercover as dealers. Appleton eventually gains Nino's trust by exposing Gee Money's side deals. A massive shootout occurs when mobsters attempt to kill Nino, resulting in the death of Keisha. Later, a sting operation is arranged, but Kareem exposes Appleton, allowing Nino to escape. Nino kills Gee Money and continues his empire solo until the police assault his apartment. Appleton brutally beats Nino, revealing that Nino killed Appleton's mother during his initiation. Nino pleads guilty to a lesser charge and is sentenced to one year. Outside the courtroom, he is fatally shot by an 'Old Man' and falls to his death.
- First release year
- 1991
- Runtime (minutes)
- 100
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Mario Van Peebles
- Writers
- Thomas Lee Wright · story; Thomas Lee Wright · screenplay; Barry Michael Cooper · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Wesley Snipes · Nino Brown; Ice-T · Gee Money; Chris Rock · Pookie; Mario Van Peebles · Stone; Judd Nelson · Nick Peretti; Allen Payne · Gee Money; Bill Cobbs; Bill Nunn
- Genres
- neo-noir; gangster; crime drama; crime thriller
- Themes
- drug epidemic; organized crime; betrayal; revenge
- Tone and mood
- melodramatic; electrifying
- Premise and plot tags
- undercover; gangster; drug war
- Source material / true-story basis
- Original story and screenplay by Thomas Lee Wright
- Reception
- The film was favorably received by critics for its cast, storyline, and soundtrack. It was the highest-grossing independent film of 1991 domestically and received generally favorable reviews on Metacritic.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 81% · review count: 37
- Awards and nominations
- AFI's 100 Years...100 Thrills · Nominated · Nominated; AFI's 10 Top 10 · Gangster Film · Nominated
- Production trivia
- The screenplay was originally written as The Godfather: Part III.; The Cash Money Records label is named after the Cash Money Brothers gang.; The film inspired the ring name for professional wrestler New Jack.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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