Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
GOOD MOVIE, October 14, 2006
This was an entertaining movie, which is more than I can say for some other movies that get rave reviews. I guess everyone sees things differently, therefore, form different opinions. Compared to Shaft of the past, this one doesn't stack up, but I don't think the intent was to compare.
Answer to L. Gontzes comment...I would assume the reason for there not being a nude scene with the lovely (not so lovely in this film) Vanessa Williams would have something to do with the fact that she was very much pregnant during filming! notice they tried not to shoot any shots of her from the waist down?
N-E-Wayz...this film had several different elements to appeal to a diverse audiences. I would recommend to others.
This is the second posting of my review. My first review was accidently given **. I deleted and reposted, in order to keep the low rating from affecting the overall average........
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9 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Jackson Takes It Downtown, August 9, 2000
A racially motivated, cold-blooded killing starts the wheels turning in the hard-hitting, action-packed "Shaft," directed by John Singleton. When a young black man is killed outside of a restaurant by the son of wealthy businessman, NYPD cop John Shaft (Samuel L. Jackson) takes him down; but the kid, Wade, (Christian Bale), gets bail, then proceeds to skip to Switzerland for the next two years. Meanwhile, the only witness to the murder, a waitress named Diane (Toni Collette), disappears. When Shaft gets a tip that Wade is coming back to town, he makes it his business to see that justice is done, and meets him at the airport. When Wade gets bail again, Shaft resigns from the force, to take the matter into his own hands, and to do it on his own terms. First, he has to find Diane; without her, they have no case. During his pursuit, he runs afoul of drug lord Peoples Hernandez (Jeffrey Wright), whom Wade has hired to kill Diane. Making things even more difficult for Shaft are two wrong cops (Dan Hedaya, Ruben Santiago-Hudson), who are in league with Peoples. But Wade and Peoples soon find out they have their hands full dealing with Shaft, who is backed in his play by Uncle John (Richard Roundtree), and Carmen (Vanessa Williams), another of NYPD's finest. Jackson is outstanding as Shaft, a role that it seems he was born to play. He plays Shaft as one cool, in-your-face, intimidating you-know-what; savvy and fearless. This is one guy you do not want to get on the wrong side of. He's got the attitude, the manner, the whole package, and it all adds up to total credibility. Bale, as well, is excellent as Wade, to whom he lends a subtle, almost psychotic bravura, which aptly demonstrates his versatility as an actor. Another notable performance is turned in by Wright, who brings just enough menace to Peoples, without overplaying a role that would've been easy to take over the top. A lot of credit has to go to John Singleton, who doesn't miss a beat here. He knows this territory, and it shows; he captures the language, rhythms, and mood of the environment with which he's dealing perfectly, and keeps it all moving right along. Collette does well with her Diane, a pivotal, but rather minor character. She doesn't have a lot of screen time, but makes the most of it when she's on; her fear, and the anxiety wrought of her situation, is palpable. The supporting cast includes Busta Rhymes (Rosen), Josef Summer (Fleming), and Philip Bosch (Mr. Wade). There's something satisfying about watching Shaft do his thing; a self-assuredness and lack of political correctness he employees in the pursuit of real justice that is refreshing to behold. Most importantly, "Shaft" delivers on it's promise of action, and plenty of it, and with the added benefit of having story enough to support it. Singleton and Jackson definitely deliver the goods in this one, and of course there's the familiar Isaac Hayes theme on hand to underscore the proceedings, and it's every bit as effective now as it was in the original version. If you want to get the adrenalin pumping, check this one out. I guarantee you'll be glad you did.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Tough, slick update/sequel to the originals, March 30, 2003
I actually cringed when I saw the trailer to this movie. It didn't show much except shot after shot of Samuel L. Jackson removing his designer sunglasses and staring at the camera. I thought it had the potential to be awful.I was very wrong. The movie is not without plot holes and implausibility, but it still works thanks to great acting and solid direction. John Singleton takes on a genre film with this almost-sequel to the famous blaxploitation series of the 1970s. Jackson plays John Shaft--nephew of the original Shaft who appears here as the wise old uncle. It's Richard Roundtree himself doing the honors, getting screen time in a theatrical release for the first time in decades. The story concerns a cold murder of a young black man by rich and twisted Walter Wade, son of wealthy New York society. Christian Bale comes right off the set of American Pyscho and plays the demented Wade with a more outwardly tough guy persona. Think Bateman and the Preppie Murderer, and you get the idea. (Even the faux-Brooklyn accent is funny.) There's not a whole lot of mystery around here. Shaft basically swears to get this guy, and we know he will, no matter no long or how many people he has to shoot. Things get complicated when Wade hires a Dominican drug lord to whack out the sole witness to the murder. The drug lord is then linked to dirty cops who get contracted to kill Shaft and the girl. In the end, a lot of people die. Shaft has the best marksmanship of any cop in the country as he guns down countless low-rent drug dealers and various minions. And clad in Armani, the coat alone costing half a cop's yearly salary, Jackson is the ultimate in cool. Why does it work? For one, the writing is slick, even if it's (trouble sign) done by a literal team of writers. However, it all comes together once we realize who was hired for what. Richard Price, author of Clockers and Freedomland, clearly lends some street credibility to the dialogue, although apparent on-set tensions meants Jackson was unwilling to read everyone's lines. Also, the main difference between the old and new Shaft is the decided absence of sex. Jackson is a man of action. Matter of fact, the lone sexual encounter (implied and not seen) is forced, as if the audience needs a reminder that Shaft can, ahem, deliver. Also, the strangely blue-lit title sequence features quick flashes of nudity and implied sex, though we never see who with. Again, inserted by the filmmakers after production. (They couldn't get Jackson back for reshoots.) But it doesn't matter. Shaft has the best lines, the steely stare, and a fast Glock. The other highlight is Jeffrey Wright as Peoples Hernandez, the drug lord who longs to be able to travel out of his neighborhood and still get respect. This has a very New York feel to it, and there are tons of Manhattan locations. David Arnold, who updated the James Bond scores so well in the Brosnan films, does a very nice job of supplying detective music. (Issac Hayes' original Shaft is redone by Hayes himself, though hardly different.) Too bad the score is not widely available on CD. You have to hunt for the limited edition disc that contains the entire score plus tracks not used in the final film. The DVD is competent, including interviews, featurette, and music videos. Highly recommended for those who like foul-mouthed tough cop movies where bad guys pay in the end.
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