Shaft (2000)

User Rating:

5.9/10   

Director:

John Singleton

Writers (WGA):

Ernest Tidyman (novel)
John Singleton (story) ...

Release Date:

16 June 2000 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Crime | Thriller

Tagline:

Still the man, any questions?

Plot:

New York City police detective John Shaft (nephew of the original 1970s detective) goes on a personal mission to make sure the son of a real estate tycoon is brought to justice after a racially-motivated murder.

Plot Keywords:

Detective | Drugs | New York City | Murder | Police

Awards:

1 win & 12 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Sun. Nov. 8	8:00 PM	TMC
Tue. Nov. 17	1:15 AM	TMC

Cast

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 Fleming
Lynne Thigpen	...	Carla Howard
Philip Bosco	...	Walter Wade, Sr.
Pat Hingle	...	Hon. Dennis Bradford
Lee Tergesen	...	Luger
Daniel von Bargen	...	Lt. Kearney (as Daniel Von Bargen)

Also Known As:

Shaft - Noch Fragen? (Germany)
Shaft Returns (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for strong violence and language.

Runtime:

99 min

Country:

Germany | USA

Language:

English | German | Spanish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:16 | New Zealand:R16 | Argentina:13 | Australia:MA | Canada:14A | Chile:14 | Colombia:12 | Denmark:15 | Finland:K-16 | France:-12 | Germany:16 | Hong Kong:IIB | Ireland:18 | Netherlands:16 | Norway:15 | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:M18 (re-rating) (uncut) | South Korea:18 | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | Switzerland:16 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:16 (canton of Vaud) | UK:18 | USA:R | Philippines:R-18

Filming Locations:

Broadway & 20th Street, Chelsea, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Munich Film Partners & Company (MFP) Shaft Productions

Trivia:

Christian Bale didn't have any interest in playing the part of the villain as he had just finished making American Psycho (2000). But he was reading through lines with Toni Collette who has the part of the witness in the film one day, and decided to give it a go as another villain after all.

Goofs:

Continuity: At the beginning of the movie, the blood is on Walter's left hand when Shaft arrests him. In all of the flashbacks, the blood is on the right hand.

Quotes:

[Trey starts seizing on the gurney]
Walter Wade, Jr.: Homeboy's got rhythm, huh?
John Shaft: What?
[Shaft punches Wade in the face]
Walter Wade, Jr.: What? Was it something I said? I think my nose is broke!
Lt. Kearney: I've been waiting for this. You are gone from this precinct!
John Shaft: For what?
John Shaft: [punches Wade again] For that?

Movie Connections:

References The Long Kiss Goodnight (1996)

Soundtrack:

Mi Con Con

a low down dirty shame

"a low down dirty shame" - that's the name of the movie this movie was based on, originally directed & starring Keenan Wayans (1994). But that film is as much comedy as action film. This is... well, obviously, Samuel Jackson wanted to show that he could play "black"; but I don't know who ever doubted that.

The original Shaft suffered from a lack of proper pacing, due largely to the editor's uncertainty as to where that film was going.

This film suffers from the fact that - being a borrowed story all around - the story itself isn't sure where it's going.

Well, it's nice to see Richard roundtree on the big screen again - a wholly underrated and type-cast actor, he deserves more and better roles.