Three Generations Of ‘Shaft’ Don’t Quite Equal A Whole Good Movie

Who is the man who would risk his neck for his brother man? If you answered “Shaft” (then followed it up with a “can you dig it?”), then you just might be primed and ready for this movie. Maybe. But ready or not, a new Shaft is here.

Shaft is about John Shaft Jr. (Jessie T. Usher from Independence Day: Resurgence), an FBI data analyst whose best friend, a war veteran and recovering drug addict named Karim (Avan Jogia from “Victorious”), dies under mysterious circumstances. John, or JJ as he is called by his friends and family, decides to investigate Karim’s death, but he needs help. So he tracks down his estranged father, legendary private investigator John Shaft (The Hateful Eight’s Samuel L. Jackson), for assistance. With JJ’s childhood friend, a doctor named Sasha (Love, Simon’s Alexandra Shipp), in tow, the father-and-son team discovers that there is more to Karim’s death than meets the eye. And that’s when they call in more re-enforcements – John’s father, the original Shaft (Richard Roundtree reprising his legendary role once again) – for some multi-generational ass-whoopin’.

If that sounds like a exploitative cash grab based on a successful pre-existing property, well, it is. Directed by Tim Story (Ride Along, Fantastic Four) from a script by Kenya Barris (“Black-ish”) and Alex Barnow (“The Goldbergs”), Shaft is a thin connect-the-dots mystery full of conveniences and contrivances that methodically unfolds its way to an all-too-clean ending. Even as an action movie, it’s very one dimensional and obvious from a plot standpoint.

Shaft leans heavily on its cast to spark the nostalgia that gives it any chance to connect with its audience. And, to be fair, Samuel L. Jackson slips right into the leather jacket and becomes the bad-mother-shut-your-mouth that fans of the 2000 Shaft know and love. Richard Roundtree is a lot of fun when he finally shows up, too; even if he’s lost a step with age, he’s still got the quick sardonic wit that made Shaft a legend.

It’s actually when Roundtree appears for the third act of the movie that the action really start moving. Of course, it’s still just brainless fighting, but at least the movie’s cards are on the table at that point. The weak excuse for a “mystery” is solved, and everything is all settled except for the butt-kicking. Even Jessie T. Usher, who up until then had been a straight man/whipping boy for Jackson, gets into the fight.

The action scenes are the high point of the movie, even if they mostly just boil down to a barrage of bullets aside from one fun scene where JJ fights a thug using some drunken dance combat technique that winds up being more funny than exhilarating. Comedy is at the center of the movie as well, with Samuel L. Jackson making sarcastic quips and humorous observations seemingly every minute he’s onscreen, with the rest of the cast (save for Roundtree in his limited capacity) just there to set up his one-liners.

Basically, Shaft feels like a comfortable romp through a familiar neighborhood with old friends. It’s nowhere near as satisfying of a movie as the seventies or aughts incarnations of the franchise, but it’s a nice reminder of why those movies work. It’s great to see Jackson and Roundtree slinging and swinging again, and while Usher can’t quite keep up, he has his own charms that bring the franchise into the 21^st century. Does Shaft deserve another movie? Probably not. But if danger’s all about, you can bet he won’t cop out.