Don't listen to the negative reviews

The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

Blistering performances.

Am I missing something? Released only a year before Goodfellas (if we are comparing 'gangster' movies) I don't see how this is such a classic... yeah Christopher Walken steals nearly every scene he's in but that's a given, he's Christopher Walken for God's sake! I didn't understand how he was meant to be this big villain capable of wiping out anyone who crossed him when his "crew" were nothing more than a bunch of low level punks who robbed people on the subway etc. Some good scenes but nowhere near Walken's best effort and nowhere near one of the greatest gangster films.

When the drug kingpin Frank White (Christopher Walken) is released from the prison, his gang under the command of his henchman Jimmy Jump (Larry Fishburne) and he murder the competition. Frank and his girlfriend Counsellor Jennifer (Janet Julian) frequent political parties and he decides to modernize the hospital of his old neighborhood using part of his profits dealing drugs. But the rogue cops under the leadership of Dennis Gilley (David Caruso) and Thomas Flanigan (Wesley Snipes) decide to eliminate Frank White and his gang simulating an attack by a rival gang despite the protest of their leader, Detective Roy Bishop (Victor Argo). "King of New York" is a crime film directed by Abel Ferrara with a great cast, with names such as Wesley Snipes, Laurence Fishburne and Steve Buscemi in the beginning of career. Christopher Walken performs an interesting character, a drug lord that believes he is a businessman and a sort of modern Robin Hood trying to benefit his former poor neighborhood before he dies. The showdown in the conclusion is expected and fits perfectly to the story. My vote is eight.Title (Brazil): "O Rei de Nova York" ("The King of New York")

Working with his frequent collaborator, screenwriter Nicholas St. John, NYC based independent filmmaker Abel Ferrara uses the city as the backdrop for a memorably seedy and garishly lit story of cops and hoods, focusing on a veteran crime lord named Frank White (Christopher Walken).Frank's been out of the game for a long time due to a prison stretch, and now he's developed some sense of morality. Assisted by a mostly black crew, he sets about brutally eliminating his rivals, intending to spend the money he makes on improving his neighbourhood. Naturally, there's a team of detectives (among them, characters played by David Caruso, Wesley Snipes, and Victor Argo) out to get him.Ferrara, as could be expected, has a great sense of style, nicely capturing the look of his locations. The score by Joe Delia complements the visuals created by a team including cinematographer Bojan Bazelli. Granted, the movie is very grim and gritty stuff, and it may be too violent for some tastes, but it's gripping as hell and the characters are all compulsively watchable.Walken is understated in the lead role, and surrounded by good actors. In fact, there's a lot of familiar faces in the cast. In addition to those mentioned, Laurence Fishburne (displaying a magnetic presence as a drug abusing thug), Janet Julian, Giancarlo Esposito, Paul Calderon, Steve Buscemi, Theresa Randle, Roger Guenveur Smith, Frank Adonis, Vanessa Angel, Robert LaSardo, James Lorinz, and Harold Perrineau all turn up as well, making this fun to watch.One especially great sequence takes place in the rain during the aftermath of an assault on Whites' compound. The movie begins well and keeps moving fast (it's 104 minutes long, but it doesn't feel like it) with one entertaining scene after another, and in the end it packs a pretty hard punch.Highly recommended to fans of crime fiction.Eight out of 10.

A New York drug lord Frank White (Christopher Walken) is being driven in his limousine back into the city following his release from prison. His crew are busy taking out a rival Columbian gang who have been encroaching on White's business while he's been away. Once he's back White wastes no time in taking out more of New York's crime lords and cements himself as the King of New York. Disgruntled that they are never able to get charges to stick, a few wild Police Officers decide that the only way to stop White and his gang is to take them out.Featuring an impressive cast which alongside Walken includes gangsters Laurence Fishburne, Steve Buscemi, Giancarlo Esposito and Theresa Randle with Cops Wesley Snipes, Victor Argo and David Caruso the film is a tale of good vs evil, but as you'd expect the lines between the two are blurred. Although not in the same league as the likes of Scarface, Carlito's Way or Serpico all of which share themes with this, it is a decent gangster picture.The story is fairly basic really. Gang boss gets released from prison; starts to rebuild his empire and the cops try to stop him. There is little new plot wise. The only little twist on the genre is the cop's tactic of halting the gangster's operation. I wasn't really invested in the story or many of the characters though there were some good performances. Much like the plot they were all characters you've seen before to some degree or another. There's the level headed, ice cold killer of a boss, the ostentatious black gangsters, the Irish cops, the Latino middle man, the Mafioso, the Chinese Triads and various scantily clad women. Unfortunately it's all been seen and done before.As I say though there are some terrific performances. Christopher Walken delivers a powerful and menacing performance as Frank White. He's calm and calculating but isn't afraid to deliver the killer blow. The character also has a side to him which makes the audience empathize with him and the way in which Walken creates this is brilliant. Another great performance is Laurence Fishburne as an arrogant and flashy gangster/killer. He is especially good in the chicken shop scene. Victor Argo is also great.The highlight of the film for me was the incredible soundtrack. I have somewhat of a puncheon for late 80s Hip-Hop and this film features some of the best that era had to offer with the likes of Party Posse and Schooly D lending songs. The traditional score which is interspersed with the Hip-Hop works well and sounds good. As well as the soundtrack there was also some pretty jazzy dancing, most notably from Walken. It reminded me of the video for Fatboy Slim's Weapon of Choice, a video I could watch over and over again.In addition as the slightly tired plot another problem with the film is the hair. I've never seen such bad hair in a film before. Half the cast sport mullets and Christopher Walken's is characteristically crazy. I did enjoy the two big shoot-outs. They were both action packed and the first must have had some influence on Grand Theft Auto as it looked just like the sort of shoot-out that game would present. In the end King of New York is an average gangster film but nothing more.www.attheback.blogspot.com