King Of New York

(Ferrara, 1990)

Christopher Walken is Frank White, a notorious drug kingpin recently released from prison who, without breaking stride, fully intends to make up for lost time. As premises go it’s far from original, but with Walken on sinister, serpentine form and a supporting cast of loud, nasty and unscrupulous bruisers from both sides of the law, King Of New York has enough in the way of raw ingredients to produce a darkly delicious experience overall.

The irrepressible White wastes no time in sending a message to anyone who might stand in his way, and those who refuse to deal on his terms soon find the alternative less than conducive to their long-term health. Here is a gangster who is supremely confident in his methods and his manpower, and for much of the film it seems like he may just be untouchable.

As his enemies try desperately to bring him down, White merely goes from strength to strength. He uses his ill-gotten fortune to nurture a facade of respectability, infuriating the authorities and driving them to extreme lengths. Frank would exploit the law to see himself elected mayor, while his foes would forsake it to see him dead.

The film is as stylish as you might expect from Abel Ferrara, but all the beautifully dingy scenes of rain-swept streets and sweeping shots over the neon-lit New York skyline can’t cover up the fact we’re expected to take what we’re seeing at face value, without questioning the often baffling premise and storyline turns.

If you simply allow yourself to be caught up in the wake of Frank White’s manic slash-and-burn across New York by night, chances are you’ll have a really good time watching this film. A young Laurence (here billed as Larry) Fishburne puts in an excellent turn as Walken’s psychotic right-hand man, and David Caruso is highly entertaining as a hot-headed cop determined to dethrone the King of New York no matter what the cost.

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tl;dr: Noisy, violent and debauched, King Of New York is a modern day Robin Hood story as told by an artisan of grimy immorality. Walken is mesmerising even when he stars in turkeys, but here he puts on one of the most formidably intense showings of his career. It might not make a lot of sense at times, but for fans of hard-edged gangster films, this is a must-see.

The Rundown

(Berg, 2003)

Also known as ‘Welcome To The Jungle’.

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson enjoyed a long and decorated career as a professional wrestler before going out on a high note and moving into acting. No matter your feelings regarding the sport itself, Johnson was blessed with impressive athleticism, size and an undeniable natural charisma that lent itself wonderfully to his chosen future vocation.

After his unremarkable turn in the second Mummy film and solid, if uninspiring leading performance in The Scorpion King his next film was The Rundown. In it, The Rock stars alongside the wildly entertaining Sean William Scott (aka “Stifler” from American Pie) and the ever lovely Rosario Dawson. Christopher Walken rounds out the principle cast as the film’s characteristically eccentric, ruthless crime lord Hatcher.

The film’s premise is largely incidental: the two male leads are forced to work together to track down some MacGuffin or other in the middle of the Amazon rainforest. The Rock is a bounty hunter who is more than capable of defending himself from the various mercenaries and guerrilla fighters put in his path, but for reasons left unexplained he refuses to use guns. Walken’s baddie will (naturally) do everything he can to make sure he gets his hands on the treasure first.

Alternating between fight/escape scenes and interspersed with magnificent shots of lush, sprawling jungle vistas, The Rundown is a textbook action flick in the absolute finest sense of the term. There are plenty of explosions and gunfights to keep adrenaline junkies happy, but there’s also a great sense of comedy throughout, with the excellent chemistry between Johnson and Scott resulting in an escalating series of one-upmanship from start to finish.

Based on the strength of this film, Dwayne Johnson should have had no problem establishing himself as the next big action star. There’s even a sly cameo by a certain Arnold Schwarzenegger, who bestows a symbolic blessing upon the up-and-comer as he himself heads for the exit.

Unfortunately for those of us who’d jump at the chance to see The Rock playing Conan The Barbarian, Johnson has thus far balanced his action roles with self-deprecating comedies aimed at children. That’s fair enough for a man who insists his first concern is making films his own kids can watch, but the loincloth won’t wait forever.

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tl;dr: This is raucous, exhilirating action crossed with the best aspects of a buddy comedy film. Dwayne Johnson takes centre stage and proves beyond a reasonable doubt that he can pull off action roles while exhibiting intelligence and making the audience laugh. It’s a great-looking film, highly entertaining and tonnes of fun.