King of New York (1990) - Where to Watch, Reviews, Trailers, Cast - Watchmode

King of New York (1990)

Ex-con drug lord takes on rivals, aiding NYC's poor. Ideal for fans of gritty crime dramas with Robin Hood vibes.

Genres: Thriller, Crime

Cast

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King of New York(1990)

Movie1h 43mEnglishThriller, Crime
7.1
User Score
68%
Critic Score
IMDb

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Overview

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 in this stylish and ultra violent modern twist on Robin Hood.

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Featured Comments/Tips

The fight for organised crime in New York.

The atmosphere and excellent cast make this movie stand out. But the story is too linear, maybe with 15-30 more minutes the script would have been better.

Abel Ferrara's horrendous crime films are the best in the world in terms of realism. In particular, "King of New York" is a standout among Ferrara's less well-received works. The sensation of having peeked into an extraordinary world on first viewing is unforgettable to this day. It is by no means a complete work that can be called a masterpiece, but I personally love this film.

Kind of unbelievable to me that this film isn't more well-known The style. The lighting. The colors. So much thought and care was put into this. Every shot is gorgeous. And that's without mentioning the intensity, and all of the fun violence, but it's all violence with a purpose. Random people don't die, like most films like this. It's sheer violence at times, but controlled. Near god damn perfect. Jimmy Jump is kind of an annoying character at times and that's my only turn off. The climactic scene under the bridge is haunting in how intense it is.

This is the perfect late-night movie, it has got a pretty alright story but the cast really makes this film so much better and you do want to know what happens to each of them as the story goes along. Also, if you like gangster films or mob films then you will find yourself pretty entertained as Christopher Walken (Frank White) just makes this film so good and he might be one of the best crime bosses I have seen in a gangster film and dare I say one of his best performances. Just give it a watch, even if it'#39;s just for the cast and just know it isn'#39;t original but its really well directed and some really quotable scenes. The ending is a bit of a let down for me but that'#39;s my opinion. Also, Lawrence Fishburne (Jimmy Jump) is over the top in the film but it works soooooo perfectly in my opinion.

I had great expectations knowing it'#39;s considered a classic, especially among the African American community, but it thought it was underwhelming. It'#39;s a passable 105 minutes with some fun moments and quotes but I don'#39;t see why would anyone watch it more than once. Performances were way over the top.

This is Walking at his greatest!! Movie wasn'#39;t so great but he did his thing!!

Filled with all the crime picture cliches you could shake a stick at, yet it'#39;s still completely compelling. A lot of that is due to a smart cast and the gritty way New York is portrayed feels authentic. Good stuff.

i like Christopher Walken and he did decent job here but this movie is terrible

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.

More style than substance. Probably raw and fresh at the time of its release but it hasn'#39;t aged well.

Featured User Reviews

KING OF NEW IS AN CRIME ACTION THRILLER FROM ABEL FERRERA THE DIRECTOR OF THE BAD LIEUTENANT, THE FUNERAL, BODY SNATCHERS, THE DRILLER KILLER, MS.45, FEAR CITY, CHINA GIRL, CAT CHASER, DANGEROUS GAME, THE ADDICTION, THE BLACKOUT, NEW ROSE HOTEL, ‘R XMAS AND 4:44 LAST DAY ONE EARTH. KING OF NEW IS A ACTION THRILLER STARRING ACADEMY AWARD WINNING CHRISTOPHER WALKEN FROM THE DEER HUNTER, HEAVEN’S GATE, THE DOGS OF WAR, A VIEW TO A KILL, COMMUNION, PULP FICTION, NICK OF TIME, DAVID CARUSO FROM TV SERIES NYPD BLUE, CSI: MIAMI, JADE, TWINS, A COLD AROUND THE HEART, LAURENCE FISHBURNE FROM BOYZ N THE HOOD, DEEP COVER, TINA: WHAT’S LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT, FLED, THE MATRIX , THE MATRIX RELOADED AND THE MATRIX REVOLUTIONS, ACTION MOVIE SUPERSTAR WESLEY SNIPES FROM RISING SUN, BOILING POINT, DEMOLITION MAN AND SUGAR HILL, ACTOR/COMEDIAN STEVE BUSCEMI FROM FARGO, CON AIR, RESERVOIR DOGS, PULP FICTION AND TREE LOUNGES, THERESE RANDLE FROM NEAR DARK, THE GUARDIAN, JUNGLE FEVER, MALCOLM X, SUGAR HILL, BEVERLY HILLS COP III, BAD BOYS, GIRL 6, SPACE JAM AND SPAWN AND VANESSA ANGEL FROM SPIES LIKE US, STOP! OR MY MOM WILL SHOOT, SLEEP WITH ME, KINGPIN, KISSING A FOOL, MADE MEN AND TV MOVIE PARTNERS AND I RENTED ON VIDEO.

Ryan
Ryan
0/10

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

r96sk
r96sk
0/10

Shoulda loved it, didn't. The violent nature of <em>'King of New York'</em> 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.

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. What director Abel Ferrara has managed to do here is portray a fable of how a leopard never changes its spots - even though it wants too. Frank White is here a victim of his own past doings, with his reputation on the wane and the authorities with long and unforgiving memories. What hits the most (outside of some brilliant acting) is Abel Ferrara's bleak yet gorgeous vision of a sin city Big Apple, the characters are all one step away from a death, something that we the audience hope comes swift and nasty, all of which is cloaked in this plink plink lighted vision of the underworld. Ferrara chooses to pace his picture to give us a sense of pervading doom, it's quite a knack and means the viewers have to hang on in there to get to the wonderful, and dare I say it, bleakly appropriate conclusion. Christopher Walken is Frank White and gives one of his best career performances, all scary eyes and dialogue spurting precision, he pours out grit and emotion to garner sympathy where he perhaps really shouldn't be getting it. Larry Fishburne, David Caruso, Victor Argo, Wesley Snipes, Janet Julian and Steve Buscemi fill out the cast list, with Fishburne and his manic Jimmy Jump character practically walking off with the movie. So all in all it's a visual delight and a story that is very good on the ears, with the violence perfectly harsh to flesh out the grim nature of this pot boiling crime picture. So, those in need of a pick me up should probably steer well clear then. 8/10

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