Shaft (2000)

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.

Director:

John Singleton

Writers:

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

Stars:

Samuel L. Jackson, Vanessa Williams, Jeffrey Wright

1 win & 13 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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)

Storyline

Cool and deadly NYPD detective John Shaft arrests Walter Wade, Jr. in a racially-motivated slaying. The eye witness disappears, Wade jumps bail for Switzerland, and Shaft is livid. Two years later, Wade returns to face trial, confident his father's money and influence (and racial politics) guarantee an innocent verdict. Shaft looks hard for the witness, so Wade wants someone to kill her. He turns to a ghetto drug king, Peoples Hernandez, who's willing to kill for money, use Wade as a route to rich drug customers, and shaft Shaft. Can Shaft find the witness, convince her to testify, and shepherd her through the hail of bullets that Peoples is sure to let fly?

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Plot Keywords:

detective | drugs | new york city | police detective | switzerland | 

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Taglines:

Still the man, any questions?

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Genres:

Action | Crime | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong violence and language

Details

Official Sites:

Filmax (Spanish) Paramount

Country:

Germany USA

Language:

English German Spanish

Release Date:

16 June 2000 (USA)

Also Known As:

Shaft Returns

Filming Locations:

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

Box Office

Budget:

$46,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

£872,545 (UK) (15 September 2000)

Gross:

ESP 228,558,146 (Spain) (29 June 2001)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Munich Film Partners & Company (MFP) Shaft Productions, New Deal Productions, Paramount Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

99 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Richard Roundtree, who plays Uncle John Shaft, played Shaft in the original films.

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Goofs

In the beginning, the victim has been bludgeoned in the back of the neck. However, in the flashback, Walter hits him almost dead on in the face. Even within the flashback there is an error; from one angle the victim is quarter turned to face Walter, the next shot he is completely turned around.

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Quotes

Peoples Hernandez: Stick to what I know? Stick to what I know? I'm a star. Yo soy el mayembe!

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Connections

Spoofed in Rugrats in Paris: The Movie (2000)

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Soundtracks

"Serenata Negra"
by Rafael Vargas and Winston Rosa
Performed by Fulanito
Courtesy of Cutting Records, Inc.

User Reviews

Amusing but really nothing special.

An enjoyable but nevertheless quite silly and average remake of the classic television show has the new John Shaft (Samuel L. Jackson) beating up a white racist (Christian Bale) and getting booted off of the police force. Everyone in this film is a racist - primarily the whites - and this whole idea is way too forced. The language and violence is rough, yet the film itself is quite goofy, with not many good scenes and only a few mediocre action sequences. The moral is somewhat depressing: if someone wrongs you, or someone of your race, then beat them up and kill them once they reappear. Richard Roundtree's cameo helps a bit, but regardless, this SHAFT is still only "good" at best.

2.5/5 stars.