King David (DMX) returns to NYC to repay a debt to Moon (Clifton Powell). Although he is soon killed, he manages to stay alive through flashbacks as Paul (David Arquette ) sorts through his life because the King wasn't very smart and made more incriminating tapes than Watergate. Ending has a slight twist, but not worth the wait.

Guide: F-word, sex, male butt nudity.

Considering DMX's previous movie fare – which typically paired him with martial arts stars – I was expecting this to be an action flick. Well, in some ways it is – there are a ton of bloody shoot-outs and it partly follows the classic revenge drama formula – but in other ways, NEVER DIE ALONE surprises, exploring DMX's character in some detail and taking a downbeat look at the life of a drug dealer. DMX takes a role a little heavier than he's used to, and he's very good in the part, a really hateful character that you can nevertheless understand. The supporting cast is also pretty good, excepting David Arquette, who's hopeless as usual.

Sadly, NEVER DIE ALONE's subject matter is ultimately depressing, whilst the revenge drama is just too clichéd to be any good. The only good scene in the whole movie is the bit where a thug finds himself distracted by dollar notes which come floating down the alleyway towards him – an original and fun moment in a film otherwise devoid of laughter.

Slight spoilers.

The most obvious comparison is Scarface, of course. Scarface was an interesting movie, because it took a rather uncompromising, unglamorous look at a repugnant character -- one who had been glamorized in numerous other movies. The greatest pity is that some people STILL managed to view Scarface in that glamorous light.

Never Die Alone runs with that. It tempts you to empathize with the protagonist, a drug dealer who has been talking about redemption, righting his past wrongs, paying his dues, and making things right. The movie opens with his death, which is revealed to be brutal and arbitrary. However, as you learn about the man's life, you come to hate him, realize that he's a monster, and all his talk of "redemption" is just bullshit. King David is a despicable sociopath, and watching him ruin the lives of everyone else in the movie is not an easy thing.

It's a powerful story, but there are some problems. First, it's a bit preachy. Second, the pacing can get a bit slow at times. The sex scenes, in particular, struck me as a bit boring. The brutality may bother some sensitive viewers. It's not the violence itself that's so disturbing; rather, it's that the violence is depicted realistically. There are consequences to the actions taken, and they are far-reaching, rather than the traditional Hollywood consequence-free violence that solves every problem. Many people have criticized the acting, but I thought it was fine. The directing wasn't exactly inspired, but I like Dickerson. His style isn't artistic or showy, and I doubt he'll ever transcend his B-movie roots, but his gritty, retro-blaxploitation influences work for me.