HavingwitnessedhisjunkiefatherkilledRussellStevensgrowsuptobecomeapolicemanandmakeadifference.WhenheisofferedanundercoverjobbyGeraldCarverheacceptsandbeginstobuildarelationshipwithDavidJasoninordertogettothemaindealers.Howeverasheisforcedtodealdrugsandkilltokeephiscoverhefindsthelinesbetweencopandcriminalbeinglost–isheacoppretendingtobeadealeroradealerpretendingtobeacop Larry(ashewasthen)Fishburne'sfirstleadrolewasatypicallydarkvehicle.Thestoryistheusualoneofcoplosinghimselfwhenundercover,howeveritmanagestobemorethanthatformostofthetime.Co-writtenbyTolkin,whowroteThePlayer,thisnaturallyhasanicecynicaledgetoitwhenitlooksattheUS'shypocriticalapproachtodrugcontrolandthepoliticallinksbetweenthestreethustlersandthepoliticalhighrollerswhocourtrespectability.Thestorydoeseventuallysettleintoatraditionalsettingbuteventhenitworkswellasathriller. Themulti-talentedBillDukedirectswellwithagrittyfeelandafewnicetouches.Howeverseveralthingsareabitiffy.FormostofthefilmFishburne'snarrationvoiceoverisabitlikeacrossbetweenApocalypseNowandBladeRunner–itcomesacrossasalittletoodarkandheavyandalsoexplainsthingslikewecan'tfigureitoutourselves.Howeveronceyougetintothefilmit'snotasbigadeal.Mymainproblemlieswiththecharacters. Fishburneisexcellent,arealmodelofunderlyingangerandviolence,GoldblumisgoodbutperhapsalittleOTTontheyuppieviolencething,butthere'sgoodsupportfromSmithandSpinCity'sbeautiful(andoftenunderused–butnothere)VictoriaDillard.Howeverthetwomainwhitecharacters(GoldblumandSmith)arebothsmearedwithracistinsinuations–Smithappearstoinsulthisblackofficersanddoesn'tcareaboutthejunkies,whileGoldblumisfascinatedaboutallthingsblackandtalksaboutthemaswildbeautifulbeastsandloveshavingsexwithblack'.Thesethingsaren'tamajorproblem,butwithbasicallyonlytwowhitecharactersinit,it'salittleworryingthatbotharegiventhatedge. Howevertheseareminorcomplaintsthatgetlostwithagoodthriller.FishburneexcelsandDukedeliversastorythatisagoodthrillerbutalsohasajaded,subversiveedge.
