★★
John Shaft Jr., a cyber security expert with a degree from MIT, enlists his family's help to uncover the truth behind his best friend's untimely death.
Classification: 15
Despite enjoyable performances from Samuel L. Jackson and Richard Roundtree, there is very little fresh or original of the new instalment to the Shaft film franchise. Director Tim Story takes the audience through a very predictable plot trying to garner comedy from the generational differences between the lead characters. It's cliché after cliché with an overall mystery that does very little to stimulate the intelligence of the main characters or the audience. Relying on obvious misdirection, whatever Shaft's commentary wanted to be on modern law enforcement lands flat as John Jr's. FBI career storyline is the least interesting element of this action-comedy.
It's the chemistry between the actors that makes Shaft as enjoyable as it is but there still lies issues with how the characters are presented. There are script issues in the characterisation with questionable stances being made on a number of hot button issues such as misogyny, masculinity and discrimination that could alienate its audience. At times it feels the script was written by an individual very frustrated with the millennial generation as the John Jr. character is the polar opposite of the classic Shaft character. This decision, however, allows for an odd couple comedy pairing between Jessie T. Usher as John Jr. and Samuel L. Jackson as John Shaft with amusing results. Jackson's Shaft is brazen, unapologetic and an off-grid renegade private eye who estranged relationship with Usher's character is the emotional core of the film. While these moments can be anticipated, Jackson conveys the emotion of his character well enough to give depth to his flashy performance.
Jackson makes Shaft fun and while his characterisation can be garish at moments especially when dealing with the female characters, he does present a certain charm and skill to the film's generational themes. While Jr.'s skills as more common among modern action films; hacking, strange martial arts, tech-savvy and bashful around the ladies, Shaft brings a simplistic touch to the proceedings. He's old fashioned, he'll just shoot the criminal for info rather than steal his phone and while that can lead to conflicts with Jr.'s character or Regina Hall's character, Story never makes him overly offensive but doesn't do enough to make his personality work in our modern society. Therein lies an issue with Shaft, it feels dated with the three iterations of John Shaft together on screen but with nothing substantial to say. Roundtree's appearance as the original John Shaft elevates a lagging third act and delivers some of the film's best moments but it just serves as fan service for a franchise that doesn't have much left in it.
Shaft struggles through its story, themes and characterisation but for the most part, is still an enjoyable viewing because of the passion Jackson and Roundtree have for the character of John Shaft. Jessie T. Usher has his moments but the film's insistence to have him be different from the archetype of the other two leads actually just makes him less interesting. The comedy, for the most part, is enjoyable and the action delivers especially when Roundtree brings his suave stylings into the fray. There are many issues with Shaft, Story just seems unsure what he wanted to film to be beside another franchise brought back for the sack of brand recognition. It has no real commentary on its main characters or current American society and its that lack of narrative depth that will leave Shaft forgotten.
Director: #TimStory
Cast: #SamuelLJackson, #JessieTUsher, #ReginaHall, #AlexandraShipp, #RichardRoundtree
Release Date: June 28th 2019
Available to stream on Netflix.
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Written review copyright ©CoreyBullochReviews
Images and Synopsis from the Internet Movie Database
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