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) |
New York Police Detective John Shaft is the lead detective on a sensitive case, a young black man is severely beaten. The man's companions tell Shaft that their friend humiliated the one who was spouting racial slurs at him. Shaft confronts him and he says he's Walter Wade Jr. , the son of a wealthy man. Shaft finds that he has the ID of a woman who's a waitress at the bar where Wade and the guy who was attacked were. When Wade continues to hurl racist comments, Shaft smacks him. Shaft later learns because of his actions Wade was granted bail and fled. Two years later, Wade returns and Shaft arrests him. At his hearing when the judge grants him bail, that's when Shaft throws his badge at the judge. He then sets out to get Wade by finding the waitress. Wade in the meantime asks a drug dealer named Peoples Hernandez to find the waitress and make sure she doesn't talk. Written by rcs0411@yahoo.com
"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.