Shaft
by John Singleton
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Dan Hedaya, Philip Bosco, Samuel L. Jackson, Toni Collette, Zach GrenierDirector: John Singleton
Brand: JACKSON,SAMUEL L.
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 5.1; English (Subtitled); English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 5.1; French (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround
Format: Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD, NTSC, Widescreen
Picture Format: 2.35:1
Running Time: 99 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2000-12-12
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Studio: Paramount
Movie Reviews of Shaft
Movie Review: Still the Man...
Summary: 5 Stars
Who delivers ten times out of ten? The answer to is easy, only one man can, Shaft. Throughout the 70's Richard Roundtree made a huge career playing that very man. Now over 20 years later, Shaft is reborn, this time with Samuel L. Jackson taking over the title role. Director John Singleton ("Boyz `N' the Hood" and "Four Brothers") has taken Shaft out of the hip 1970's and into the year 2000 without the character losing any of his edge.
"Shaft" is about detective John Shaft (Samuel L. Jackson), the coolest detective on the police force. When the racist son (Christian Bale) of a powerful politician kills a young black man, Shaft will stop at nothing to bring the scum to justice. There are two problems though; one the suspect has skipped the country, and two the only eyewitness (Toni Colette) has gone into hiding for her own safety. To solve this crime Shaft is going to have to enlist the aid of his mentor/uncle, also named John Shaft (Richard Roundtree reprising his role from the original films), together with some other friends and people that owe him favors, Shaft will stop at nothing to ensure that justice has been served.
When another "Shaft" film was initially announced, many critics and fans simply wrote it off as another remake or another worthless sequel. With director John Singleton swearing that this "Shaft" would not be just a rip-off of the movies from the 70's, but would in essence be a sequel set in the present day, and featuring a new Shaft. This of course led to more criticism, until Samuel L. Jackson signed on, once that happened the critics were silenced and anticipation began to grow for this new `Shaft' film. The story is fast paced and strong, and the idea of having the original Shaft, Richard Roundtree reprise his role, but is an uncle to Sam Jackson's younger Shaft, was a stroke of genius. Fans of the original films were not disappointed by this newest sequel, and movie audiences that had never seen the original films had no problem following the storyline, since this was essentially a standalone movie. The actors were all very good, Samuel L. Jackson never disappoints of course, and Christian Bale, Vanessa Williams, Richard Roundtree, and even Busta Rhymes all turned in solid supporting performances.
In the end, if you enjoyed the original series of `Shaft' films, or even if you've never seen them, but are interested in this one, you will not be disappointed if you choose to sit down and watch this modern version of Shaft.
"Shaft" is rated R for violence, language, and brief nudity/sexuality.
Summary of Shaft
An African American detective tries to stop a racist killer, by tracking down the only eyewitness to his crimes.Genre: Feature Film-Action/Adventure
Rating: R
Release Date: 13-MAY-2003
Media Type: DVD
Samuel L. Jackson makes a gleefully updated John Shaft in John Singleton's homage to (not remake of) the early '70s action classic, picking up where Richard Roundtree's legendary Shaft left off. The Manhattan-set film is highlighted by excellent performances, dynamic action scenes, and witty one-liners (Jackson's Shaft: "It's my duty to please the booty"--although the line's deceptive: there's a surprising lack of sex in the film). Unfortunately, it's offset by a surprisingly uninspired, predictable, one-dimensional story, penned by Singleton, Richard Price, and Shane Salerno. The story, in which Shaft investigates the murder of a young African American, is without suspense, since from the start the audience knows that rich white boy Walter Wade (Christian Bale) did the deed, and that Shaft is going to kick his ass, big time. That said, charismatic performances--from Jackson (who, in keeping with the times, is more volatile and fiery than his predecessor), Toni Collette (as a frightened witness), the villainous Bale, and the utterly amazing Jeffrey Wright (Basquiat)--make the film enticing and watchable. Look for a cameo by the original Shaft's director, the legendary Gordon Parks, and fans of the original should note that a still stunningly handsome Roundtree briefly appears as Jackson's uncle. --N.F. Mendoza
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