Product Description

The explosive murder of a client plunges shaft into a case that bounces him like a pinball between the 133rd precinct and competing mobs. But the players are about to be played. Special features: three original theatrical trailers and brand-new transfer and first-ever widescreen video release. Studio: Warner Home Video Release Date: 02/03/2004 Starring: Richard Roundtree Drew Bundini Brown Run time: 106 minutes Rating: R Director: Gordon Parks

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #76358 in DVD
• Brand: Warner Brothers
• Released on: 2000-06-06
• Rating: R (Restricted)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, Full Screen, Letterboxed, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: English, French
• Subtitled in: English, French
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 104 minutes

Amazon.com
When a pal of detective John Shaft is murdered in a bombing (and $250,000 in cash turns up missing), New York's coolest private eye finds himself caught in the middle of a power struggle between black and white gangsters over the numbers racket in Queens. Directed by Gordon Parks (who does a brief cameo as a croupier in an illegal casino) and written by Ernest Tidyman (both of whom did the original Shaft), this film lacks the pacing of its progenitor. Roundtree is at his best when he's questioning a woman he's just met about a suspect while at the same time beguiling her into the sack (ah, those lazy, crazy days of the sexual revolution). The finale--a shootout in a cemetery, followed by a car-boat-helicopter chase through Queens and up the Harlem River--is preposterously drawn-out: Shaft, impervious to machine-gun fire, winds up tripping, spraining his ankle, and limping while running from the chopper; two shots later, he's sprinting like a halfback. Look for late Muhammad Ali trainer Drew Bundini Brown as a wise-cracking mobster. --Marshall Fine

Customer Reviews

Hot!
Of all of the movies that I own, I keep coming back to the Shaft movies. I wish that they could have made more of them. Don't listen to others, this one is just as good as the first one!

This is the typical story of the black man against the Italian-American(black blood is on them also..) for control of the ghetto. This one is good because it takes a look into black people with money in the early 70's. This film has action, sex, story, chases and a mob boss who doe snot mind you talking sh*t to him, but touch his food or matrial items and he is pissed!

If you like black exploitation films or if you are white and you like raw action films, get this. Shaft is Africa was a little different(could be why they never made another), but still ok. Shaft's Big Score should be your score.

Shaft Is Back !! With Good Action Scenes and Sexy Smile
Because of the success of the original "Shaft," MGM upgraded the series, giving more action scenes and less nudity; so this time Shaft in the opening credits drives a car in the midnight New York while in the previous film he was walking down the street.

The basic of the story is not particuarly original. It is about the missing money from the safe of Shaft's friend and insurance broker. As Shaft starts his investigation, a crime syndicate is looking for the money while it tries to kill him, but of course, it's a very, very wrong idea. Our Shaft, keeping the police and Bumpy (Moses Gunn re-appearing from the original) at bay, gets what he wants, as always!

Gordon Parks (who had a long remarkable career as photographer, and himself appearing as a croupier here) demonstrates he is also good at presenting impressive action scenes, especially the chase scenes at the end of the film. However, by the today's standard, they might look too long and stretched. Actually, the stunts themselves are impressive, but if the editing had been tighter, they would be much better.

Richard Roundtree looks as sexy as ever, and entertains us with his suave way of talking to girls. Other characters are drawn better than original "Shaft." Charismatic Julius W Harris is cast effectively as a detective, and the idea of clarinet-playing gangster is interesting. And Drew Bundini Brown's Willy is a standout. The movie is a satisfactory, if not perfect, action thriller.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO SAY ABOUT THIS ONE
AFTER SEEING HOW ENTERTAINING THE ORIGINAL ''SHAFT'' WAS, I WAS DISSAPOINTED BY THIS SEQUEL. THIS TIME, SHAFT INVESTIGATES THE MURDER OF AN OLD FRIEND. SOMETHING THAT MADE THE FIRST FILM SO ENJOYABLE IS SIMPLY JUST MISSING FROM THIS ONE. THIS FILM IS MEDIOCRE AT TIMES, BUT THANKS TO RICHARD ROUNDTREE'S LIKABLE PERFORMANCE, AND THANKS TO THE EXPLOSIVE FINAL HALF HOUR, THIS FILM IS WATCHABLE. ONCE AGAIN, THE THEME SONG IS A HIGHLIGHT. FOLLOWED BY SHAFT IN AFRICA.