Wesley Snipes' last appearance in a major film release came in 2004's box-office disappointment "Blade Trinity." From there he faced a slew of tax-related charges from the IRS and a string of roles in straight-to-DVD stinkers with names like "The Detonator" and "The Art of War II: Betrayal."

"Brooklyn's Finest," out Friday (March 5), marks a sort of homecoming for the 47-year-old actor, both in terms of claiming a meaty role in a mainstream film opposite Hollywood vets and also in that he returns to dramatic material after years of action schlock.

"If they call it a comeback and we can do more of these, that's great, I'm with it 100 percent," Snipes told MTV News recently. "I'll still do action every now and then, and do some comedy as well — keep it mixed."

Directed by Antoine Fuqua ("Training Day"), the film tells the intersecting stories of three New York City cops — Richard Gere, Ethan Hawke and Don Cheadle — battling drug crime, shifting allegiances and their own weary souls. Snipes co-stars as one of Brooklyn's most notorious drug dealers, who's under the impression Cheadle's character is not an undercover cop but one of his closest confidants.

"I'm elated to be in a good quality product and a good quality project and associated with quality actors and quality work," Snipes said. "I appreciate that. I love doing drama and I love doing ensemble work."

While Snipes said that filming direct-to-DVD movies overseas was part of a "strategy," he's clearly grateful to be back on Hollywood soil, especially in a role that is receiving positive reviews. That's not to say the man behind first-rate action thrillers like "Demolition Man," "Rising Sun" and "New Jack City" has left that genre behind.

"I'll keep doing them and at the same time try to bring a little better quality performances to the action drama," he said. "Lot of action movies get written off because the acting is bad and the script is bad. I think I can add something to that."

Check out everything we've got on "Brooklyn's Finest."

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