King of New York

Stylish and smouldering.

Frank White, a drug lord of New York, is released from prison and plans to make a more positive mark on the city. But after reuniting with his loyal and violence hungry gang, he finds the odds are very much stacked up against him. Not only has New York changed for the worse, being run by incompetent pretenders to his crown, but the police force are also after his head - dead or alive!

First time viewers to this picture should not go into it expecting some Scarface type gangster movie, I made that mistake almost 17 years ago and came out the cinema totally cheesed off! Revisiting the film now has opened up a whole new ream of delights that when put together have created a simmering and brutal piece of work. Wha...

Incredibly acted and beautifully stylized. Really enjoyed this entry in the 90s crime era, one of the best in my opinion.

Shoulda loved it, didn't.

The violent nature of 'King of New York' is its strongest element, though otherwise I found this to be unsatisfying. A lot happens but none of it really clicked for me, while I held very little interest in any of the characters - despite an exceptional cast list.

Christopher Walken, Laurence Fishburne, Wesley Snipes, Steve Buscemi and Giancarlo Esposito are all in there, yet none of their performances shone through to me to be honest. Walken is the obvious standout, though that's only via a process of elimination.

Gritty gangster flicks would usually be my thing, but for some reason this 1990 release disappointed me.