听 Richard Roundtree returns as private dick John Shaft in the first sequel to "Shaft". This time, everyone associated with the film is so achingly cool that pretty soon they're mired in a sluggish goo of hipness that overwhelms both pace and excitement.
Shaft takes on the mob when his investigations into the death of his friend lead him to the heart of the New York underworld. There he becomes trapped between the double-dealings of black mobster Wally Taylor and smooth Mafia headman Joseph Mascolo. Naturally, there's a police presence too, courtesy of cop-with-an-attitude Julius W Harris. It all adds up to a murky environment both for Shaft and the viewer.
Compared to the first film, this follow-up has a slick look and smoothness that's quite seductive at first. Shaft's swagger and ability to please the ladies, while dealing with any element of criminal scum thrown at him, is impressively enjoyable. After a while though, the effect is rather more like a "Shaft" theme park than a sequel to the tough original.
The raw, gritty, and exciting edge that tempered the first film is replaced with a vacation-like mood that's littered with lampoon-styled mobsters who never really pose a threat to our super-dick. There's still fun to be had with what remains a quality movie, but there's no real bad dude toughness to this smooth cocktail of sexy villainy.
Read a review of the "Shaft's Big Score" DVD.
Read a review of "Shaft in Africa".
