***SPOILER*** Life on the mean streets of Newark New Jersey is brutally depicted in "New Jersey Drive" that at the time, and even now, was among other things what Newark's Mayor Sharpe James wanted to keep out of the film in it being the car theft capital of the world. In fact Mayor James refused to have any footage of the movie shot within Newark city limits taking away a good part of the movies authenticity!
The movie starts with a carjacking gone bad that ends up putting one of the carjackers Ronnie Lambs, Koran C. Thomas,in the hospital on life support. Lambs and his fellow carjackers unknowingly carjacked tough take no BS Newark cop Emil Rosco's, Saul Stein, car. It was Officer Rosco who just happened to be on the scene when Ronnie and his friends were ambushed in a police string. Shot four times by Rosco Ronnie now in the hospital and no gun found on him has Rosco in deep trouble with the only witness to the shooting fellow carjacker Jason Petty, Shannon Corley, slated to testify against him before the grand jury!
This all sets the stage for Rosco hounding Jason all throughout the movie to get him to change his testimony. As for Jason he gives Rosco and the Newark Police all the rope they need to hang him by continuously going out with his friends carjacking cars thus putting his and their lives as well as freedom in jeopardy. Jason's mom Rene Petty, Gwen McGee, knows that her son is out stealing cars instead of going to school but try as she does Rene can't convince him that he'll end up either dead or behind bars as a result of his actions. It's later when his straight as an arrow sister Jackie, Samantha Brown, starts to hang out with the same crowd that Jason does that he throws a fit that almost has him gunned down by her new found "Gangsta" boyfriend Ritchie, Andre Moore. Ritchie feels that Jason "dists" him by trying to keep Jackie from ending up like him: Out of luck out of work out of school and nothing in life to look forward too!
Stealing cars together with his friend Midget, Gabe Casseus, Jason tries to make a few bucks for his troubles by selling them to this chop-chop junk yard operator, Arthur J. Nascarella, in what looks like the Greenpoint section of Brooklyn for pennies on the dollar. Despite all the business they give him the junk yard man almost throws Midget out of his place when he comes unannounced with his latest steal not wanting the cops to connect him, by buying stolen merchandise, to Midgets & Jason's criminal activities! it's later when the law finally catches up with Jason that ends with one of his many carjacking friends being gunned down that he finally realizes that this life is not for him.
****SPOILERS**** Spending 90 days behind bars in a juvenile dentition center Jason finally saw the light and decided to go back to school and put his life of crime behind him. The fact that Officer Rosco was indited in the Ronnie Lambs shooting helps also in Jason now not having to worry about Rosco framing or working him over, which he did a number of time in the movie, to keep him from talking. It was in fact Midget's fiery death is a stolen car chased by police that finally convinced Jason that he was right in his decision to go straight! It was Jasons refusal to join Midget and his friends in this latest carjacking caper that ended up saving his life!
The movie starts with a carjacking gone bad that ends up putting one of the carjackers Ronnie Lambs, Koran C. Thomas,in the hospital on life support. Lambs and his fellow carjackers unknowingly carjacked tough take no BS Newark cop Emil Rosco's, Saul Stein, car. It was Officer Rosco who just happened to be on the scene when Ronnie and his friends were ambushed in a police string. Shot four times by Rosco Ronnie now in the hospital and no gun found on him has Rosco in deep trouble with the only witness to the shooting fellow carjacker Jason Petty, Shannon Corley, slated to testify against him before the grand jury!
This all sets the stage for Rosco hounding Jason all throughout the movie to get him to change his testimony. As for Jason he gives Rosco and the Newark Police all the rope they need to hang him by continuously going out with his friends carjacking cars thus putting his and their lives as well as freedom in jeopardy. Jason's mom Rene Petty, Gwen McGee, knows that her son is out stealing cars instead of going to school but try as she does Rene can't convince him that he'll end up either dead or behind bars as a result of his actions. It's later when his straight as an arrow sister Jackie, Samantha Brown, starts to hang out with the same crowd that Jason does that he throws a fit that almost has him gunned down by her new found "Gangsta" boyfriend Ritchie, Andre Moore. Ritchie feels that Jason "dists" him by trying to keep Jackie from ending up like him: Out of luck out of work out of school and nothing in life to look forward too!
Stealing cars together with his friend Midget, Gabe Casseus, Jason tries to make a few bucks for his troubles by selling them to this chop-chop junk yard operator, Arthur J. Nascarella, in what looks like the Greenpoint section of Brooklyn for pennies on the dollar. Despite all the business they give him the junk yard man almost throws Midget out of his place when he comes unannounced with his latest steal not wanting the cops to connect him, by buying stolen merchandise, to Midgets & Jason's criminal activities! it's later when the law finally catches up with Jason that ends with one of his many carjacking friends being gunned down that he finally realizes that this life is not for him.
****SPOILERS**** Spending 90 days behind bars in a juvenile dentition center Jason finally saw the light and decided to go back to school and put his life of crime behind him. The fact that Officer Rosco was indited in the Ronnie Lambs shooting helps also in Jason now not having to worry about Rosco framing or working him over, which he did a number of time in the movie, to keep him from talking. It was in fact Midget's fiery death is a stolen car chased by police that finally convinced Jason that he was right in his decision to go straight! It was Jasons refusal to join Midget and his friends in this latest carjacking caper that ended up saving his life!