King of New York

Day 258 - 9/15/09 - Movie #258

BEFORE: Just a couple more New York-themed films, before I move on to another topic...

THE PLOT: A former drug lord returns from prison determined to wipe out all his competition and distribute the profits of his operations to New York's poor and lower classes.

AFTER: Christopher Walken (always great) plans to build a hospital in the South Bronx with the profits from his planned drug deal - probably to treat the people who O.D. on his drugs. See, it's the kind of forward thinking that makes this country great! Walken's Frank White claims to be a "better" sort of criminal, not only because he plans to give back to the community, but because the rivals that he kills are in the businesses of child prostitution, slums, and keeping people down. In his twisted view, drugs are a victimless crime...but he is still, first and foremost, a criminal himself.

A band of cops, played by David Caruso, Wesley Snipes et al., frustrated by their lack of ability to keep White's men locked up, decide to go outside the law to take the gang down - so who's more evil, in the end? I suppose there's some kind of message to be found here, but the film is so loud, violent and flashy that it's pretty much drowned out.

Since Laurence Fishburne plays Frank White's right hand man, as a bonus you can watch the future star of "CSI: Miami" face off against the future star of "CSI". Also look for a cameo by a young Harold Perrineau ("Oz", "Lost") as a subway mugger.

RATING: 3 out of 10 (apparently) bullet-proof cars