Skip to main content

Shaft (2019) | Average Guy Movie Review


When his friend is killed in suspicious circumstances, John "JJ" Shaft (Jessie Usher) must turn to the one man who can help him find the truth, his Dad. John Shaft (Samuel L. Jackson) hasn't seen his son in 25 years, and the kid is not at all like his father. Will they be able to get past their differences and solve this case? Maybe, with a little help from 'Grandpa' - the original John Shaft (Richard Roundtree) - they might have a chance.


Much like what Taika Waititi did with Thor: Ragnarok, the follow up to John Singleton's Shaft (2000) may be a little more light-hearted than previous instalments, but this is still very much a 'Shaft' movie - an opening credits recap/montage leaves no doubt. If you enjoy seeing Samuel L. Jackson being his usual smooth-talking badass, you won't be disappointed. Jackson embodies this role perfectly, the old-school, street-smart private detective who really doesn't care who he pisses off. But this time Shaft has a partner in the form of JJ, a straight-laced FBI analyst who's as politically correct as he is averse to violence. It seems Dad doesn't really fit into the new age/hipster world that JJ lives in, and it's fun to see him mess it up a bit.


Granted, the story is more than a little ridiculous. I'm not sure how many times you can get into a gunfight in New York without incurring the wrath of law enforcement, or at least cause them to show up. Shooting or hitting everything may not be the best way to carry out an investigation either, but it is fun to watch! Which is why the buddy comedy approach really works here, watching father and son clash over investigative methods. Something that culminates hilariously in a discussion regarding how to interrogate a woman, and whether it's misogynistic or not. And for the first time we are introduced to someone that Shaft is actually afraid of, JJ's mother Maya (Regina Hall). It's easy to see why too, Hall is ferocious in this role.


The scenes featuring the FBI however, serve little or no purpose. Titus Welliver is completely underserved as the Special Agent in charge, and the same can be said of Isaach de Bankolé's villain - another generic big bad drug dealer. But the biggest mistake this movie makes is the same one they made last time. Once again, Richard Roundtree doesn't get enough screen time. The trailer would have you believe that he plays a major role, whereas in reality he doesn't show up until the last 25 minutes of the movie. And to add insult to injury, most (if not all) of his best moments are in the trailer. Roundtree is a good actor - he easily steals every scene he's in - and he and Jackson have fantastic chemistry, why wouldn't you put this to good use?


Shaft is a hysterical but ridiculous buddy comedy. Both Jackson and Roundtree do well to adapt their characters to a more comedic setting, whilst also maintaining their status as the badass private detectives. It may be far from a masterpiece, but it's easy - turn your brain off - fun, and I would be very interested in seeing more from the Shaft family. Although, some new titles would certainly make things less confusing.

6.5/10


What did you think of Shaft (2019)? Let us know by leaving a comment below or find us on Facebook and Twitter. You can also email us at moustachemovienews@gmail.com

Comments

  1. I'd agree for the most part. Did you listen to the podcast?

    ReplyDelete
  2. I haven’t yet, Rich. It was one I really wanted to be on, but work got in the way. Was it a good one?

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Suicide Squad | Average Guy Movie Review

A new batch of convicts - as well as a few originals - are under the thumb of Amanda Waller (Viola Davis), who's once again offering years off their prison sentences in return for completing a few jobs for Uncle Sam. This time she's sending them to the island nation of Corto Maltese. There they must infiltrate the capital and destroy a top secret research facility. Sounds easy enough. Task Force X is back, and with James Gunn at the helm things are madder than ever! The Guardians of the Galaxy  director has taken what David Ayer started and blown the roof off of it. But he has done so in a way that is respectful of what has gone before. Fans of the original (of which there are apparently few) will have no trouble going from  Suicide Squad  to The Suicide Squad . And yet, the new movie stands quite happily on it's own two feet. Rather than making them drastically different, the returning characters simply feel like they have grown a bit. Well, maybe not grown, but adapted, t

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings | Average Guy Movie Review

For ten years Shang-Chi (Simu Liu) - the son of The Mandarin (Tony Leung), keeper of the Ten Rings - has been running from his past, trying to escape the life his father intended for him. Unfortunately that past has now caught up with him, endangering the lives of those he cares about. Now he must return home, face his father and learn the secrets of his family. If there's one thing that Marvel is good at, it's taking lesser known comic book characters and turning them into major players. Clearly they haven't lost their touch because Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings  is everything fans love about the MCU and so much more. Whilst keeping things very much rooted in this world, Destin Daniel Cretton has carved out a new piece of the epic film franchise - one steeped in asian culture and mythology - to bring us Marvel's first Asian superhero.  It seems insane to think that just a few years ago Simu Liu tweeted Marvel about Shang-Chi, and now he's playing the ne

Operation Market Garden Anniversary 2016

The John Frost Bridge at Arnhem (from my visit in 2013) 72 years ago today, Allied troops set off on what could be one of the boldest missions of World War 2, Operation Market Garden. Developed by Field Marshall Montgomery, the plan was to advance into Nazi occupied Holland and develop a bridgehead over the River Rhine into Germany. There were two parts to the operation: Market (Airborne) Garden (Ground Forces) In what was the largest airborne operation of the war, paratroopers and glider troops had the job of securing bridges at Eindhoven (US 101st Airborne), Nijmegen (US 82nd Airborne) and Arnhem (British 1st Airborne). The ground forces, made up of the British XXX Corp had to advance up a single highway through Holland, linking up with the airborne forces as they went. In honour of the anniversary of Operation Market Garden we look back at some of the movies and TV Shows that tell the story of the Allies ill-fated attempt to end the war by Christmas 1944. A Bridge Too Far