Shaft

2000 "Still the man, any questions?"
6| 1h39m| R| en
Details

New York police detective John Shaft arrests Walter Wade Jr. for a racially motivated slaying. But the only eyewitness disappears, and Wade jumps bail for Switzerland. Two years later Wade returns to face trial, confident his money and influence will get him acquitted -- especially since he's paid a drug kingpin to kill the witness.

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Reviews

Incannerax What a waste of my time!!!
YouHeart I gave it a 7.5 out of 10
Iseerphia All that we are seeing on the screen is happening with real people, real action sequences in the background, forcing the eye to watch as if we were there.
Anoushka Slater While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.
robert-macc I take back the thing I said about how this movie portrays "bro" as white slang. It doesn't portray it as Germanic or black slang at all. Singleton rocks with this movie. Shaft is played by Samuel L Jackson (quite frankly this is better than the original Shaft). When things don't go as hoped, Shaft takes matters into his own hands. High-definition gunshots and high quality picture makes this movie even more superior. I advise those wanting a good movie to get this one. It's hardcore in every sense of the word. For those who love New York's hardcore hip hop music... you'll love this one. A good movie with some negativity for the most negative moods we all have.
view_and_review I can't talk about "Shaft" without talking about two golden performances: Christian Bale and Jeffrey Wright.This was the first movie I'd ever seen Christian Bale in and his performance was so good I positively hated him. I didn't simply hate Walter Wade Jr., I actually hated Christian Bale!! I can remember only one other actor playing the antagonist so well that I hated the person, and that was Rebecca De Mornay in "The Hand That Rocks the Cradle." Of course, Christian Bale went on to be incredible in other movies such as "The Machinist", "Equilibrium" and the "Batman" franchise, but it took me some time to get over him being Walter Wade Jr.Then there was Jeffrey Wright as Peoples Hernandez. You mean to tell me he's NOT Latino??? No, he's not and that is amazing. His performance was stellar. He did such a good job that I wanted to see him in other movies."Shaft" was superbly written and the acting was even better. The story was good and I only neglected to write about that because it was secondary to great performances.
Spikeopath Remakes do work occasionally, case in point Shaft, John Singleton's update of the 1971 Blacksploitation movie that starred Richard Roundtree as the title character. Roundtree gets a part in this one as well, playing the uncle of Samuel L. Jackson's title character, John Shaft.It's the perfect role for Jackson, lashings of cool and menace, on his bulky shoulders dose the film easily rest. Plot finds Shaft turning in his badge after the law proves useless to let racist murderer Walter Wade Junior (Christian Bale a sneering villain but awesome looking in a tux) out on the streets. Shaft vows to bring Wade to justice, by any means necessary. Though he also has other things on his plate, namely Latino drug lord Peoples Hernandez (Jeffrey Wright a riot) and some less than honourable police officers.The screenplay is a little trite, but as an action movie, one with the coolness and sparky humour, it really hits the required spots of those just after such easy minded fare. The support cast is a roll call of sound performers with the likes of Vanessa Williams, Dan Hedaya and Toni Collette fronting up, while the awesome ebullience of Busta Rhymes is very infectious.Isaac Hayes gloriously famous theme tune is still in place, pumped up by composer David Arnold, which ensures the feel of the original isn't lost, and Donald E. Thorin's photography is pin sharp and in turns gorgeous (night shots) and streetwise gritty. Shaft, the 2000 version, still bad-ass and sadly under appreciated. 7/10
daviddaphneredding Samuel L. Jackson is here in one of his best roles ever as the black no-nonsense NYC detective John Shaft who's mean, yet good-hearted and caring in his own strange and rough way; he's especially kind toward the scared bar waitress, played well by Toni Collette. He didn't mind being mean toward the Hispanic Peeples Hernandez, the part Jeffrey Wright played so convincingly. It was, to say the very least, extremely refreshing to see Vanessa Williams who portrayed Carmen Vasquez. Christian Bale, a very versatile actor, was the smart-aleck Walter Wade, Jr, for whom no sensible person could have any sympathy. Also, the unforgettable Richard Roundtree made a surprise, yet not-surprising, appearance as the "original" John Shaft, here John Shaft's uncle. Naturally, Isaac Hayes' musical contribution was a mind-sticker. And too, it is obvious that the director John Singleton made a great accomplishment. But while it was allegedly a serious drama, because of the filthy persiflage on the part of Jackson toward Wright and a few others, I was led to laugh, and did. They did for sure get carried away there. And yet, it was a story about a serious detective who hated injustice with a passion. Samuel L. Jackson, again, made you believe here that he was "the man who would risk his neck for fellow-man" for sure.