Despite an impressive cast and a bevy of intriguing plot elements, this dreary little exploitation opus is the least notable (and least interesting) of Abel Ferrara's pre-King Of New York work. The main problem lies with the weak script, which was penned by Ferrara's frequent collaborator Nicholas St. John: the overplotted scenario fails to tie its threads together in a compelling and engaging style, the characterizations are merely a series of exploitation-film 'types' and the script is completely lacking in the kind of thoughtful thematic underpinnings that made Ms. 45 and King Of New York so interesting. As a result of these story problems, the cast has little to do: Jack Scalia and Billy Dee Williams bluster their way through their thin roles while Tom Berenger and Melanie Griffith struggle to give their sketchy archetypes dramatic weight they can't really support. Even Ferrara's direction feels off: he avoids the gritty rawness that defines his best work and settles for an overtly glossy look that makes the film feel like an R-rated episode of Miami Vice. In short, Fear City doesn't work as a slick urban action film or a sleazy exploitation opus and can thus only be recommended to Ferrara completists.