Action
Adventure
Crime
Thriller
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.
Directors
Samuel L. Jackson
John Shaft
Vanessa Williams
Carmen Vasquez
Jeffrey Wright
Peoples Hernandez
Christian Bale
Walter Wade, Jr.
Busta Rhymes
Rasaan
Dan Hedaya
Jack Roselli
Toni Collette
Diane Palmieri
Richard Roundtree
"Uncle" John Shaft
Ruben Santiago-Hudson
Jimmy Groves
Josef Sommer
Curt Flemming
Lynne Thigpen
Carla Howard
Philip Bosco
Walter Wade Senior
Pat Hingle
Judge Dennis Bradford
Lee Tergesen
Luger
Daniel von Bargen
Lt Kearney
Francisco 'Coqui' Taveras
Lucifer
Sonja Sohn
Alice
Peter McRobbie
Lt. Cromertie
Directors
User reviews2
Review
Featured review
_**A black detective in Gotham desperately wants to nail a snooty racist murderer**_
The nephew of the original John Shaft is a detective in New York City (Samuel L. Jackson) where he tries to apprehend an arrogant racist killer (Christian Bale) by finding a key witness (Toni Collette) while dealing with a gang lord (Jeffrey Wright) and corrupt cops. Vanessa Williams is on hand as a helpful officer.
“Shaft” (2000) is a ‘hip’ crime thriller that resurrects the franchise 27 years after the original trilogy from 1971-1973 that featured Richard Roundtree in the title role (he returns here as the aged uncle). The cast and filmmaking are fine; the problem is the lame story with which they’re shackled.
The key crime in the opening act is glaringly weak. Bale’s character is a snooty punk born with a silver spoon in his mouth, but I didn’t buy his rash, racist actions at the night club. It just didn’t ring true, especially since he seems to get along with black people just fine the rest of the movie. Likewise, Collette’s actions aren’t convincing as the doe-eyed bartender. Simply put, the scriptwriters tried too hard to concoct a racist whitey villain when subtly was in order.
If you can roll with that serious flaw, there are enough thrills to amuse, including Jackson as the bad axx protagonist and Wright’s entertaining drug lord. Plus it’s always good to see the charming Vanessa Williams.
The film runs 1 hour, 39 minutes, and was shot in various areas of New York City, as well as nearby Newark.
GRADE: C-
Wuchak08 Aug, 2021
Box office
Budget
$46,000,000Gross worldwide
$107,626,125More to explore
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