An homage to the blaxploitation films of the late '60s, early '70s, Samuel L. Jackson stars in the title role of "Shaft". More of a sequel to the successful earlier series that starred Richard Roundtree than a reboot, it follows the exploits of John Shaft, the nephew of the original detective John Shaft, who is once again portrayed by Roundtree. Shaft is a New York City cop who arrests a racist rich heir (Christian Bale) who beats a black restaurant patron to death for no reason. The heir gets bail and skips town, but returns to years later. Shaft makes it his business to hunt him down. He also is hunting down the sole witness to the murder, who doesn't want to be found. When he finally catches the heir, he is once again given bail, which causes Shaft to quit the force and take measures into his own hands. The heir enlists the aid of a local Hispanic drug lord to hunt down the witness to silence her. This film is VERY relevant to today's ills of society, and the tension between the races that exists today. It also is a throwback to the old series, with MUCH better acting, as Jackson and Bale both command the screen. Good turns by Vanessa Williams as Shaft's partner and Toni Colette as the witness, and a great, over-the-top performance by Jeffrey Wright as the drug lord makes the movie much superior to its predecessors. Great flick for action movie fans.
Review of Shaft
