Shaft 2000, Rated R Paramount Home Video

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Starring Samuel L. Jackson, Vanessa L. Williams, et al. Released to DVD on December 12, 2000.

If nothing else can be said of director John Singleton's latest film, Shaft, I truly enjoyed screening this movie; high praise for any film, but especially for a movie that is a direct descendant of a Walter Parks' helmed '70's blaxploitation movie. Before delving into the plot, it should be understood that this Shaft film--titled Shaft, just like the 1970 film starring Richard Roundtree--is not a remake of any previous movies. A "bald is beautiful" brother, Samuel L. Jackson stars here as John Shaft, nephew to the great private investigator, the similarly named John Shaft (Roundtree, who makes an extended cameo here). Jackson's Shaft spends his time in the '90's chasing after rich, white Walter Wade (Christian Bale), the son of a real-estate tycoon who is guilty of a race-related killing. With a script co-written by the guru of New York City crime, Richard Price (Clockers), the action and dialogue in Shaft are realistic and creatively tight, save for two glaringly obvious gaps in logic where corrupt New York City detectives seem to telepathically receive instructions on how to find Shaft. Samuel L. is tenacious and energetic to the lead and John Singleton's direction visually stimulating, giving this movie the heart and soul that made it so fun to see. This was entertaining in spades.