WHAT’S IT ABOUT
“Shaft” is the newest chapter in the film franchise featuring the coolest private eye on any New York City block. He may be a cybersecurity expert with a degree from MIT, but to uncover the truth behind his best friend’s untimely death, JJ—aka John Shaft Jr. (Usher)—will need an education only his dad can provide. Absent throughout JJ’s youth, the legendary locked-and-loaded John Shaft (Jackson) agrees to help his progeny navigate Harlem’s heroin-infested underbelly. And while JJ’s own FBI analyst’s badge may clash with his dad’s trademark leather coat, there’s no denying family. Besides, Shaft’s got an agenda of his own, and a score to settle that’s professional and personal.
MOVIESinMO REVIEW
Now, this is what I needed. A damn good action movie with a Blaxploitation feel and an updated twenty-first-century attitude. Right from the start, it throws you into a situation that can only have one outcome, John Shaft kicking ass. There are flashbacks to Shafts younger days as a cop that lead up to the current day. This is the setup and introduction to Shaft’s son. At this point, the film is all about Shaft Jr.’s life and friends. He’s a well-educated M.I.T. graduate working for the FBI as a cybersecurity expert and the complete opposite of his father. This was the only problem I had with the movie. They make it seem like being educated means you’re dorky, unaware of the real world around you, and you’re not in touch with your culture. Although he does get a little better throughout the film, it’s still a crappy way to introduce the son of Shaft.
When Shaft does reappear, it’s because his son needs help and this movie really needed Mr. Jackson back on the screen. He had no problem carrying this movie and based on what we know about him, this is the perfect type of role for him. The badass with all the right moves was every good Blaxploitation ever made, and Samuel L. Jackson does not disappoint. So if that’s what you came to see, then that’s what you get. The classic one-liners, the crooks that can’t hit a non-moving target, and every badass stare, glance, and pose possible. This movie is pure action fun. Everything from the music played (Love over and over Again by Switch was the first song played) to the stereotypical attitude, Shaft has it all. In addition to all Shaft has to offer, it gave me a strong sense of self-worth. I can only compare it to that comfortable feeling White people get when they see themselves on the big screen doing something heroic and Black people sitting around wondering what the big damn deal is. Yeah, that feeling. That Cotton Comes to Harlem, Foxy Brown, Cooley High, Black Panther feel. ‘Cause Shaft is one bad mother. . . .
OUR RATING – A THREE TIMES THE SHAFT 8.5
Media
- Genre – Action
- Street date
- Digital – September 10th 2019
- DVD/Blu-Ray – September 24th 2019
- Video – 1080p
- Screen size – 2:39.1
- Sound – English Dolby Atmos
- Subtitles – English SDH, Spanish, French
Extras
- Can Ya Dig It? The Making of Shaft
- A Complicated Man: The Shaft Legacy
- Deleted Scenes
- Gag Reel