72

I'm finally reviewing films for the Northern Iowan, my school's paper. Considering I get a paycheck and free entrance to half the theaters in Iowa, it is a very sweet gig.

From now on, I've decided to only listen to music where the lyrics concern going to a club and lighting one's loins and soul on fire through hot dancing. Thus, I've thrown out all of my old music, and have purchased lots of rap and Shakira. I think I'll be a better person for it.


I'm not gonna make a habit of this, but here is my attempt at a capsule review of New Jack City:


Watching New Jack City, it quickly becomes apparent what a relic it is. Unlike contemporary films that fashion heroes out of vile thugs (The Sopranos, Blow, etc), New Jack City's drug kingpin, played by Wesley Snipes, comes across as nothing other than pure evil, a rotten cancer on humanity that we want to see terminated from his first appearence onwards. Other examples of the film's almost charming time warp quality; a young Chris Rock, very low gore to kill ratio, and the total absence of gangster rap, as it hadn't really been popularized yet (this is easily the most desireable trait). Director Mario van Peeble's urban tale of the destruction wrought by drugs and their salesmen has no shortage of moral potency, though this becomes diluted by stale performances and weak direction. Though it can range from mildly entertaining to awkward, until the scourge of drugs has been ended forever, New Jack City will continue to carry weight. Unfortunately, I'm thinking that will be forever.

2.5 out of 5