Cast: Samuel L. Jackson, Vanessa L. Williams, Jeffrey Wright, Christian Bale, Dan Hedaya, Busta Rhymes, Toni Collette, Richard Roundtree
Director: John Singleton
Producers: Scott Rudin, John Singleton
Screenplay: Richard Price; story by John Singleton & Shane Salerno and Richard Price, based on character created by Ernest Tidyman
Cinematography: Donald E. Thorin
Music: David Arnold
U.S. Distributor: Paramount Pictures
Back in 1971, during the height of the so-called "Blaxploitation" era, no one was cooler than John Shaft. With a performance that oozed panache, Richard Roundtree strutted his way through three Shaft movies and one short-lived television series. Now, nearly 30 years after Shaft first appeared on theater screens, Roundtree is back as "Uncle John", a supporting character in a Shaft revival where Samuel L. Jackson takes on the title role. And, from an early scene when Jackson, sporting a bald pate and a goatee, strides unconcernedly down the middle of a busy road against the flow of traffic, there's no doubt that, although the lead actor may have changed, the fundamental essence of John Shaft has not.
It's too bad the story isn't better thought out. Maybe this has something to do with the supposed in-fighting between director/producer John Singleton, lead actor Samuel L. Jackson, and producer Scott Rudin (Singleton and Jackson were reportedly displeased with Richard Price's high-priced screenplay), or perhaps there was another cause, but, whatever the reason, the end product is badly-focused and meandering with an abrupt and dissatisfying conclusion. By violating one of the key tenets of this sort of motion picture - that the hero should always confront (and subsequently defeat) the villain - Shaft fails to provide the violent catharsis that everyone in the audience is awaiting.
Shaft is really just a series of slickly filmed action sequences dangling off a thin plot and held together by the force of Jackson's charisma. With a glare that would frighten the most hardened lifer and a bearing that demands respect, Jackson's Shaft is the epitome of the cool action hero. Forget Ethan Hunt. Forget James Bond. When it comes to a character who can hold the audience's attention by the sheer power of his presence, Shaft's your man. And, while Jackson's interpretation doesn't eradicate the memory of Roundtree's (how can it, when there are several scenes featuring the actors side-by-side?), he certainly gives the veteran Blaxploitation star a run for his money.
Shaft is the NYPD detective in charge of the investigation of a race killing. One night outside of an upscale nightclub, a pampered yuppie named Walter Wade (Christian Bale) bludgeons a black man to death. There is one witness, a waitress named Diane (Toni Collette), and Wade warns her to keep her mouth shut... or else. Shaft makes the arrest, but the well-connected Wade is back on the streets in short order. It doesn't take long for him to jump bail and leave the country. Two years later, when he tries to sneak back in, Shaft is waiting. Meanwhile, the detective has been harassing a local drug dealer, Peoples Hernandez (Jeffrey Wright). Wade and Peoples meet in prison and thus begins an uneasy alliance to bring down Shaft.
As John Singleton's tribute to the Blaxploitation genre, Shaft is an entirely watchable motion picture. It fits nicely into the summer market, and, despite being unremarkable, it pretty much delivers what's expected of it. The action isn't nearly as good as in Mission: Impossible 2, but there's a higher humor quotient (some of which is self-mocking). Jackson gets a chance to utter one-liners in a way that hearkens back to the quick retorts of Stallone and Schwarzenegger in the '80s. Although the film takes place in 2000, there's a pretty heavy '70s flavor to the proceedings. This is enhanced by the choice of music. Isaac Hayes' unaltered "Shaft" theme is used to open and close the movie. In between, composer David Arnold (who has lately been doing a good impersonation of John Barry on the Bond films) has created a '70s-like score that frequently incorporates snatches of Hayes' song.
From an acting standpoint - indeed, from any standpoint that matters to audiences - Jackson dominates the film. But, although it might not always seem like it, there are other performers in the movie. Christian Bale plays his one-dimensional villain like an extension of his American Psycho character. Toni Collette is underused as the one-dimensional victim. Vanessa Williams, playing one of Shaft's colleagues on the force, gets an opportunity to hide her beauty and glamour beneath dirt and unattractive outfits. Sporting an over-the-top accent that renders almost every word unintelligible, Jeffrey Wright gives a manic turn as the secondary villain. Finally, there's Roundtree, who remains in the background except on those occasions when he steps forward to offer Shaft advice or enjoy the company of a sexy lady or two. (It's interesting to note that Jackson's Shaft shows only a passing interest in women.)
At this point, it's unclear whether Shaft represents a turning point in Singleton's career or is just a short break from films that address hard issues. Certainly, this movie is unlike his previous work, which includes serious features like Rosewood and Boyz 'N the Hood. Singleton shows enough in Shaft to indicate he can make this kind of motion picture, and he is a smart enough director to keep the focus on his leading man. Whatever problems may have plagued Shaft behind the scenes, the final product emerges as a diverting crime thriller that brings a 2000 flavor to a '70s genre. (Or is that the other way around?) Without Jackson, the film might have been a candidate for a quick trip to the shelves of video stores, but, with the actor firmly in place, Shaft should avoid a box-office meltdown in the summer heat.
© 2000 James Berardinelli