Shaft's Big Score! (1972)

Director:

Gordon Parks

Writer:

Ernest Tidyman (writer)

Release Date:

8 June 1972 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Crime | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

A brand new caper.

Plot:

Shaft is back to find the murderer of an old friend on the cold hard city streets with a little help from his new friends.

Plot Keywords:

African American | Sequel | Cult Favorite | Black Cop | Blaxploitation

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Richard Roundtree	...	John Shaft
Moses Gunn	...	Bumpy Jonas
Drew Bundini Brown	...	Willy
Joseph Mascolo	...	Gus Mascola
Kathy Imrie	...	Rita
Wally Taylor	...	Johnny Kelly
Julius Harris	...	Capt. Bollin (as Julius W. Harris)
Rosalind Miles	...	Arna Asby
Joe Santos	...	Pascal
Angelo Nazzo	...	Al
Don Blakely	...	Johnson
Melvin Green Jr.	...	Junior Gillis
Thomas Anderson	...	Preacher
Evelyn Davis	...	Old Lady
Richard Pittman	...	Kelly's Hood #1

Runtime:

104 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:PG (Manitoba) | Canada:R (Ontario) | UK:X (original rating) | Iceland:16 | Australia:MA | Finland:K-16 | New Zealand:R13 | Norway:16 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:R | West Germany:16

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

The shotgun used by John Shaft in the last part of the film is the High Standard HS-10B designed circa 1970, originally a law enforcement only firearm.

Quotes:

Shaft: [carrying a semi-automatic shotgun] Drop the guns and freeze! When this baby starts kicking, it won't stop. So, nobody get cute!
[a thug goes for his gun and Shaft blows him away]
Shaft: Who's Next?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Best of Eddie Murphy: Saturday Night Live (1989) (V)

Soundtrack:

Don't Misunderstand

'Shaft' scores.

My Take: Fine Harlem-set thriller with a thrilling climax.

Richard Roundtree returns as the black foul-mouthed private eye John Shaft, reprising the role he made famous in the previous film SHAFT. Made in 1972, SHAFT'S BIG SCORE clearly shows its age as an old star vehicle. Almost everything, from clothing, quips and concept, have been outdated by today's bigger standards. Still, there's much to enjoy in Roundtree's iconic portrayal as the private eye Shaft as he gets tangled up with the mob, led by gangster Gus Mascola (Joseph Mascolo).

So much of the film is devoted to a lot of mob meetings and Shaft at his private eye work, and less comes the action. Up until the finale, a terrific long helicopter chase, the film is devoted to Ernest Tidyman's (THE FRENCH CONNECTION) well-written if often tedious screenplay. Long out-dated and outdone by better anti-Bond cop movies as DIRTY HARRY and THE FRENCH CONNECTION which still stood the test of time. Still, SHAFT'S BIG SCORE! is an enjoyable caper, Roundtree and the action finale delights.

Rating: *** out of 5.