King Of New York
In New York, crime gets done Frank's way - or it doesn't get done at all. Recently freed from prison, Frank White (Walken) hooks up with his old crew to challenge his few fellow druglords. Each bloody battle aims at a piece of the high-priced action where being at the top of the chain can mean the difference between life and death. Unable to keep him behind bars, the cops declare war on him. Frank's answer - put a contract out on the cops.
Academy Award-winner Christopher Walken stars in this mesmerizing ultra-violent street drama of a city on the edge. Larry Fishburne, David Caruso, Wesley Snipes and Giancarlo Esposito also star in director Abel Ferrara's (Bad Lieutenant, Dangerous Game) riveting and horrifyingly realistic story of one man who takes the city beyond its limits.
Member Reviews
Walken makes it a 4 star!! - HotTubber
Frank White (Christopher Walken) is the King of New York,a druglord who’s spent much of his life in prison, yet rules the streets with an iron fist.
White’s eager to get back into the drug trade-but not solely for his own gain. It seems that his time in prison has turned him into a modern-day Robin Hood, a philanthropist who wants to procure $15 million dollars in order to keep a hospital for low-income children open. Unfortunately, his fellow drug lords don’t share this same aspiration—which ultimately causes Frank to kill them. Still, his noble goal aside, he’s a drug lord—a fact that doesn’t sit well with the cops (David Caruso, Wesley Snipes, and Victor Argo) who want nothing more than to put him away for life—even if Snipes and Caruso have to break the law to achieve their goal. Inevitably, this leads to a bloody showdown, and a surprisingly restrained ending that doesn’t make complete sense, but does work on at least some levels.
However, style or no,this film would have been forever consigned to the B movie section of your video store if not for the magnificent performances. Walken is brilliant as Frank, demonstrating why he’s one of our best American actors as well as how sad it is that he’s been so badly typecast as a man who can only play weird, brooding characters. Walken and the cast, coupled with Ferrara’s exuberant style, combine to make this film much better than it had any right to be—going as far as bordering on classic. Unfortunately, the fact that the script misses several opportunities to give us some background/character development, and the fact that the philanthropic hospital angle is dropped almost completely late in the second act keep this film in the 4 star range and not 5.A Good Crime Flick - TheDandyist
When Abel Ferrara is good, he is very, very good. King of New York may be a muddled, overly-complex mess, especially when compared to the movie that came after it in the Ferrara canon (Bad Lieutenant, still his finest offering), but it's a sumptuous mess, and if you don't pay too much attention, it's a blast.
Frank White (Christopher Walken) has just gotten out of prison, and he has a plan for this world, yes he does. He gathers his troops, led by Jimmy Jump (Larry Fishburne, in the days when Laurence was still Larry), and recruits some new ones, and away they go. Meanwhile, a team of young hotshot cops, led by the older, wiser, and more cynical Bishop (Victor Argo), are keeping their eye on Frank, trying to take him down at the earliest possible opportunity.
What really hits home about this movie is the incredible cast, many of whom were still on their way up at the time: David Caruso, Wesley Snipes, Harold Perrineau, Steve Buscemi, etc. All are fantastic actors, and Ferrara gets the most out of them. Second is the photography, which is wonderful throughout (Bojan Bazelli was nominated for an Independent Spirit award for the cinematography, and deservedly so). The end result is a sea of powerful performances and pretty scenes stuck in a movie that never really connects them (though it's entirely possible that this is attributable to the extensive cuts that had to be made to the film for it to achieve its R rating, over fifteen minutes by some accounts). The movie was roundly reviled by audiences when it appeared, which should immediately cause the film buff's ears to prick up; if the masses hated it, you certainly won't.I really enjoyed this movie. - Cailiff
I think Christopher Walken did a great job in this role. I wish there was a sequel made. I especially liked the interraction he had with the Mafia.. it's not often you see someone stand up to the Mafia the way he did. What really did it for me, was the way the movie ended. Very few times do I agree with the way a movie ends, but this one really kept you in your seat until the credits started to roll. It also let you wonder what happened if they movie continued for another 10 minutes... If they had made a sequel they could have taken off from where this movie left off without too much trouble. Anyway, if you like Gangs, Mafia, Organized Crime, and intimidation... See this movie if you haven't already.
Member Reviews
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Walken makes it a 4 star!! - HotTubber
Frank White (Christopher Walken) is the King of New York,a druglord who’s spent much of his life in prison, yet rules the streets with an iron fist.
White’s eager to get back into the drug trade-but not solely for his own gain. It seems that his time ...A Good Crime Flick - TheDandyist
When Abel Ferrara is good, he is very, very good. King of New York may be a muddled, overly-complex mess, especially when compared to the movie that came after it in the Ferrara canon (Bad Lieutenant, still his finest offering), but it's a sumptuous mess, ...I really enjoyed this movie. - Cailiff
I think Christopher Walken did a great job in this role. I wish there was a sequel made. I especially liked the interraction he had with the Mafia.. it's not often you see someone stand up to the Mafia the way he did. What really did it for me, was the way ...