New Jack City feels tangled, forced, and unsubtle, culminating in a title card urging viewers to “confront the [drug] problem realistically, without empty slogans and promises.” The characters certainly avoid hollow phrases, instead delivering some of the most memorable lines ever put on screen (“Sit your five-dollar ass down before I make change,” “I want to shoot you so bad, my d*ck's hard,” etc.), but it’s a bit of a reach to say they handle the issue with realism – and doubts arise from smaller details, like the Red Digital Readout; on the other hand, an unbelievable element—the transformation of an entire apartment complex into a massive crack house—is based on true events (sometimes the most incredible things are actually factual; think about the inverted airplane in Flight). The writing occasionally resorts to clichés and is sometimes completely illogical, but it’s consistently entertaining and full of quotable lines. Likewise, the story isn't fully developed, yet it avoids being superficial, and overall the movie has good intentions. This film possesses a great deal of energy, though it's not solely for those who appreciate vivid visuals; New Jack City understands the need to look beyond surface appearances. A noteworthy scene featuring intertextual references shows the villains watching Scarface and deciding that Tony Montana’s only mistake was being “careless.” However, this revealing irony seems to be missed by rappers like Lil Wayne and Tyga (both of whom have called themselves ‘Young Nino’; do they not recall or appreciate that Nino Brown once used a young girl as a human shield?), making them even less intelligent than those who watch Scarface and believe Tony Montana is someone to emulate. Ultimately, New Jack City is an inconsistent film where the weaker parts are carried by its undeniable style, reaching a point where how things are said and done overshadows what's being said or done – and in that regard Wesley Snipes’s standout performance (and what should have been a significant role for Chris Rock), alongside a strong cast including Judd Nelson, Bill Cobbs playing the Old Man, and Mario Van Peebles’ assured direction, is what keeps everything together.

Source on TMDB