New Jack City (1991) is a crime movie based upon a story and screenplay by Barry Michael Cooper and Thomas Lee Wright. The film is Mario Van Peebles’s directorial debut. He also co-stars in New Jack City.
Wesley Snipes plays Nino Brown, a budding NYC drug-lord ready to exploit the crack epidemic to the fullest. Ice-T plays the role of detective Scotty Appleton who goes undercover and works for Nino’s gang in an attempt to bring him down.
Plot
Action begins in Harlem in 1986. Nino Brown and CMB (his gang, the Cash Money Brothers), are a dominant force in New York City’s crack cocaine trade.
Nino operates alongside Gee Money, his best friend, and enforcer Duh Duh Duh. They are joined by Keisha, Selina (Nino’s girlfriend) and Kareem, Selina’s cousin.
Nino transforms the Carter apartment complex into a full-blooded crack house. Tenants are forcibly ejected, and Nino throws the landlord out onto the street.
From these beginnings, CMB run Harlem for the next three years.
Detective Stone finds himself coming under fire so Appleton puts himself forward to infiltrate CMB. He’s partnered up with Nick Peretti, a loose cannon.
Frankie Needles the mobster is trying to collect taxes from Nino, but he refuses pointedly to pay. As Nino and his gang distribute Thanksgiving turkeys to the needy, Appleton looks on. He spots Pookie, now a pathetic crack addict. Rather than arresting Pookie for beating his girlfriend, Appleton instead gets him into rehab.
Pookie later offers to help with bringing Nino down. Appleton recruits him as an informant despite the misgivings of Stone and Peretti.
Inevitably, Pookie relapses. Gee Money finds out he’s wired, and he orders the destruction of the Carter. When the police come across Pookie’s dead body, it’s been booby-trapped. Peretti manages to defuse the bomb seconds before it goes off. Nino warns Gee Money not to ever again make such a costly mistake.
Appleton and Peretti are no longer required by Stone. They proceed to go undercover dealing drugs. Appleton bribes Frankie Needles then infiltrates CMB. He capitalizes on Gee Money’s escalating drug use and growing ambition as a way in. Nino doesn’t trust them, but he still agrees to do business. He warns Appleton and Gee Money he will kill them both if they betray him.
Appleton gains the trust of Nino who confides in him about Gee Money’s side deal. He then saves Nino from old man with a gun. Nino heads to a wedding with Appleton CMB while Peretti breaks into his mansion and collects evidence.
Don Armeteo dispatches assassins to take Nino out. There’s a huge shootout between the hitmen and CMB. Nino uses a child for a shield, and Appleton tries to shoot Nino.
Keisha is killed. Later, Nino throws Selina out. He then kills Don Armeteo and all his crew as he speeds past on a motorcycle.
The detectives arrange a sting to trap Nino. Kareem then blows Appleton’s cover, and another shootout takes place. Peretti saves Appleton, and Nino escapes.
Later that evening, Nino confronts Gee Money and kills him. CMB collapses. Nino holes up and continues working alone.
Scotty and Nick storm the Carter and beat Nino. He is then taken into custody.
At trial, Nino pleads guilty to a reduced charge. He says he was forced to help CMB, and he identifies Kareem as the leader. Nino is sentenced to one year in jail.
The old man reappears and shoots Nino dead.
Production
The film is based on a story and screenplay written by Thomas Lee Wright. Barry Michael Cooper served as co-writer. He was previously a Village Voice investigative reporter.
New Jack City is set in New York City. The movie was filmed between April 16 and June 6, 1990.
Reception
New Jack City was well-received critically and praised for its strong storyline, cast, and soundtrack.
Scott Cooper Florida called the film “a superior example of what used to be called blaxploitation.”
The film premiered at Sundance on January 17, 1991. National release was March 8, 1991. The film grossed $7,039,622 over the opening weekend. It grossed a total of $47,624,253 domestically.