Shaft (2000)
2000’s Shaft (which is actually a sequel to the Richard Roundtree films, not a remake) makes the right move to cast Samuel L. Jackson in the lead. He’s charismatic, he’s got the necessary on-screen presence and if anyone can convincingly play a cat that won’t cop out when there’s danger all about, it’s him. He takes the generic plot and makes it entertaining.
NYPD Detective John Shaft (Jackson, playing the nephew of the original) arrests Walter Wade, Jr. (Christian Bale ?!), the son of a wealthy real estate tycoon, for the racially motivated murder of a black man. Upon posting bail, Walter flees to Switzerland. Captured 2 years later, Wade teams up with aspirational drug lord Peoples Hernandez (Jeffrey Wright), to get Shaft off his back and deal with the only witness to the crime (Toni Collette).
With Shaft in Africa I think you could tell the creators kinda realized the hero was more of a black champion and less a champion for black people, if you know what I mean. This is rectified from the get-go. The main antagonist is the typical racist silver-spoon-in-his-mouth turd. Having Shaft take him down is profoundly satisfying and makes his initial escape the kind of hook which invests you wholly. Afterward, however, there’s little to Christian Bale’s character. Why’d he return home after his 2-year vacation abroad? Just to kick off the plot, I guess. Similarly, the film’s secondary antagonist, Peoples Hernandez is flat. Some of the developments we get with him seem to point towards more comedic intentions – at least I think that’s the idea.
The best aspect of this film is Samuel L. Jackson. Anyone would’ve handpicked him as a replacement for Isaac Hayes so it’s no surprise he wears the role like a glove. Being made in 2000 and not in the ’70s, they greatly diminish his sex appeal (aside from a music video-like opening there are no sex scenes at all) but make up for it by amping up the violence – sometimes to an eyebrow-raising level. A criminal jumps through a window across an alley and through a second window to get away from Shaft and you’re stunned he hasn’t been turned to raw hamburger. Director John Singleton also gives Shaft a partner, played by Vanessa Williams, another aspect which modernizes the film.
2000’s Shaft is entertaining but I don’t see audiences going back to it over and over. Although this cop plays by his own rules and has some good zingers… his dialogue never crackles like in Jackson’s best films. While it isn’t a piece of history like its predecessors, Shaft is a pleasant experience due to its lead actor and some tried-and-true tricks to make you hate the villain and keep you invested in the plot. (On DVD, June 19, 2019)
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