This is the follow-up to Shaft-Roundtree series with lots of action and violent events , here Shaft/Samuel L. Jackson turns out to be nephew of the original 1970s detective . Shaft working within , if not for , the system as a representative of NYPD. This fist and guns opera features some decent acting , noisy action sequences , though no too much , and results to be quite entertaining . It's an intriguing film , plenty of thriller , suspense , and much of the action centers around New York streets . Dealing with New York City police detective , John Shaft (Samuel L Jackson) , going on a personal mission , he is the lead detective on an essential case , a young black man is severely beaten . Shaft attempts to make sure the Walter Wade Jr (Christian Bale) , the son of a wealthy man (Philip Bosco) , is brought to justice after a racially-motivated murder . The man's companions tell Shaft that their friend humiliated the one who was spouting racial slurs at him. Shaft confronts him and finds that he has the ID of a woman (Toni Collette) who's a waitress at the bar where Wade and the guy who was attacked were . Then Shaft to pull off a dangerous mission to meet and protect a witness . The ex-cop turns into private-eye and he eliminates anyone who stands in his aim , battling a variety of nasties and keeping things moving along until the final confrontation . Still the man, any questions? .Wanna see Shaft again? This time bring yo' momma. Shaft is stickin' it...all the way. F you want to see Shaft, ask yo' Mama. The mob wanted Harlem back. They got Shaft...up to here. Shaft's his name. Shaf's his game. Hotter than Bond, Cooler than Bullitt. Wanna see Shaft? Better ask yo' mamma.
This thrilling picture packs crossfire , noisy action , violent fights , brutal killings and results to be quite entertaining . A credit sequence commingles succulent glistening and skin weaponry , set to a beefed up version of Isaac Hayes' theme tune , but this Shaft (2000) results to be a slight cinematic rendition to the vintage 70s' Blaxploitation . Strong , raw screenplay by Richard Price , Shane Salerno and director John Singleton himself , based on the characters created by Ernest Tdyman from his novel "Shaft". The Ernest Tidyman novel which was the basis for the film is about a black detective and not a white one . This Shaft/Samuel L Jackson is slick and street savvy , but a little ground down . In the hundrum plot , there's plenty of scope for Jeffrey Wright to try hijacking the proceedings with a near turn as a Latino drug dealer , also for a bunch of shoot-outs , car chases , grisly muders and other surprises . Along with co-starring Christian Bale , giving a really nasty acting as racist yuppie brat Walter Wade charged with a wanton race murder , appearing a lot of distinguished secondaries , such as : Busta Rhymes, Dan Hedaya, Toni Collette, Richard Roundtree , Ruben Santiago-Hudson, Josef Sommer, Philip Bosco, Pat Hingle, Lee Tergesen, Daniel von Bargen , among others.
It packs colorful as well as evocative cinematography by cameraman Donald E. Thorin . Equally , an atmospheric musical score by composer David Arnold , including the classsic Shaft's leitmotif by Isaac Hayes . The motion picture was well directed by John Singleton . He's a nice director , his first movies were quite thoughtful and brooding (Boyz in the Hood , Poetic justice , Higher learning), but today he usually makes intelligent action films (Fast and Furious 2 , Baby boy , Shaft) until his early death at 51. The film will appeal to action lovers buffs and Samuel L. Jackson fans . Rating : 6/10, acceptable and passable. Well catching .The result is an entertaining entry for action/thriller enthusiasts and blaxploitation fans with lots of violence , adult issues and profanities .
This first and the best of the series belonging to blaxploitation genre was ¨Shaft¨(1971) by Gordon Parks , it was rumored to be written as just another detective movie , with a white detective in the lead , but , after the success of Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song (1971) , the film was rewritten and recast as a blaxploitation movie and the second ¨Shaft's Big score¨ (1972) by Gordon Parks and third : Shaft in Africa (1973) by John Guillermin and is followed by seven TV episodes (1973,1974) . And 2000 version by John Singleton with Samuel L. Jackson . And Shaft (2019) again with Samuel L. Jackson , alonside Jessie T. Usher, Richard Roundtree, Regina Hall, Titus Welliver, Matt Lauria and Method Man .