This movie has everything you'd want to see in a film from the seventies: terrific action sequences, interesting characters, realism, and a groovy soundtrack. Definitely the best cop movie I've seen.
Cooler than Bullit. Hotter than Bond. Not only an accessible starting point down the road of blaxploitation but also solid, stylistic and entertainingly cool detective flick with a lot more meaning than the other blaxploitations out there.
What makes Shaft impressive isn't the mere stylization of the blaxploitation era it depicts. Rather, the movie is actually a bona-fide private-eye flick, with serious attempts at portrayals of race-relations in New York. The lack of thoughtless stereotyping manages to elevate this movie past it's blaxploitation roots.
I feel cooler just for watching this movie. Historically interesting to watch because it was the first studio produced blaxploitation flick (first blaxploitation flick was Mevin Van Peebles independent 'Baaaddaaaasssss' something or other released a few months earlier.) Even if you aren't all interested in the historical significance of the film, it's a solid and entertaining detective flick with an awesome theme song.
The best Shaft flick to date. There ain't no getting around Richard Roundtree. He not only created the character, but reached a height so high, that no one can reach up. Would love to see more of his works. Excellent artist with great screen presence.
The music of Issac Hayes a.k.a Black Moses and the original "black private dick who's a sex machine to all the chicks...SHAFT...You DAMN right>>>Starring richard Roundtree
THE blaxploitation movie. 'Shaft' is a lively, filthy, in-your-face, groundbreaking film that set the rules for black cinema. Though cheap and reckless, Park's influential film stands as a benchmark for badass cinema--not to mention it boasts an earth-shattering turn from Roundtree. With one of the great film heroes, power to the people one-liners, a funky score, and seemingly on-the-(super)fly camerawork, 'Shaft' is to be seen, even if just for its historical relevance.
By regular standards, this movie is laughable (1 star all the way). But you can't do that, you have to judge it in terms of blaxploitation; in which case it's 5 stars. So I'll juust average the two.
As in so many private-eye stories the plot (what there is of it) is much less important than the grotty urban settings and the detective's pugnacious swagger.
the ultimate blaxploitation film... classic... Richard Roundtree is a bad mother -shut your mouth--- i'm just talking about richard roundtree as Shaft in the 1971 classic.
My review to this is gonna suck because i'm tired and lazy. But so what?!?! Anyone that has ANY TASTE at all in good cinema has seen and loves this movie. We're talking Richard Roundtree here...we're talking AWESOME SOUNDTRACK...we're talking 70's NYC!! This flick is a safe bet. And Samuel L Jackson should really have know better!! An "update...RE-IMAGE...homage" ...whatever....Samuel being so old school should be ashamed!! LEAVE THE CLASSICS ALONE!! This is PRIME gritty 70's Blaxploitation. "Where you going Shaft??" "To get LAID!!" That line right there sums it all up - ENJOY!!
MCT:August 30, 2008
MCT:January 30, 2008
MCT:August 8, 2007
MCT:April 28, 2007
MCT:April 18, 2007
MCT:January 21, 2007
