Shaft (2000)

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 | Trial | Switzerland | Police

Awards:

1 win & 12 nominations

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: During the courtroom scene, the judge's nameplate changes from Justice "Kimball" to Justice "Bradford".

Quotes:

John Shaft: I know cats who'd take out whole zipcodes for that kind of cheese.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Stargate SG-1: Off the Grid (#9.16)" (2006)

Soundtrack:

Quien es Fulanito

Anachronism

Entertaining, I guess. Samuel L Jackson is naturally urbane. Richard Roundtree gets a role, rather than a cameo. Christian Bale is a high-calibre baddie - Jeffrey Wright is always watchable. Just like the celebrated blaxploitation films of the 70s retribution comes through a conflict of charisma.

I found myself wincing at the screen though. You can take or leave the homeboyishness - I think it's actually diluted for a mainstream audience. What's less comfortable (given this mainstreaming) is that Shaft's unorthodox methods, not only rule-breaking but invariably threatening people with violence, meet no resistance. He's no anti-hero, he's just a hero - even when he's knocking out a riot-act reading superior or nipping a youthful drug dealer in his bud. Not only is it morally questionable, it's also a bit boring. There's no danger to it, no frisson, if everyone thinks it's OK to pistol whip a teenager for the sake of a woman's smile.

A simple film. 4/10