John Shaft Jr., a cybersecurity expert with a degree from MIT, enlists his family’s help to uncover the truth behind his best friend’s untimely death.
I waited with bated breath to see this new version of the film. With five remakes dating back to 1971, there are several directions in which the film could have gone. The greatest anticipation was seeing Richard Roundtree, who was the original Shaft, still acting in full Shaft elegance. I knew there would be a lot at stake trying to replace the old with the new and as an avid reader, I happened upon an op-ed where Isaac Hayes, Jr. expressed his disappointment with not having been able to reach an agreement with the filmmakers whereas his father’s original music would be the accompanying soundtrack. He did, however, state that the film itself was great and he hoped that perhaps any future remakes would see it to fruition. I too was miffed in regards to the music, however, having just witnessed Samuel L. Jackson in full Shaft (John Shaft, Jr.) mode, I would say that the film is more than great, it is iconic. Three generations of badass Shafters, Richard Roundtree, Samuel L. Jackson, and Jessie T. Usher, make for a dysfunctional dynamic that is hilarious, thought-provoking and outright hedonistic.
As the film opens, J.J. (Jessie T. Usher) is trying to make his way in the corporate world as a Data Analyst for the FBI. A proclaimed momma’s boy, J.J. has been sheltered by his overprotective mother Maya (Regina Hall), who after twenty-five years stills seems to be suffering from post-divorce bitterness. A playback of Shaft and Maya stuck in a bullet-riddled car with their infant son in a car seat in the back sets in motion a future of resentment for his career as an independent investigator with his own set of rules for handling criminals. His promise to Maya to never involve their son in his business takes a wicked turn when J.J. seeks his dad’s help in finding the criminals who murdered his best friend who he thought was on the road to recovery.
The film becomes compassionately maladjusted as Shaft Jr. and J.J. have their first meeting as adults and J.J. tries to find a way to get his father’s help without his undeniable sarcasm. His feelings of abandonment immediately come to surface and Shaft is constantly taking jabs in every direction as he sums up the momma’s boy to be totally clueless about life in general and totally unlike him in any aspect. The physical and emotional sparing between the two is hilarious and realistic as Shaft tries in a few moments to make up for the lost years in which he wasn’t able to make an impression. In order to make progress on the case, J.J. has to allow his father to use his lifelong experience and circle of influence in order to protect his son and help him solve the case of his friend. As they get deeper into the investigation, Shaft realizes the one criminal who changed the direction of his career and his happy family life is the mastermind behind the case his son has asked for his assistance with. With the help of J.J.’s childhood crush Sasha (Alexandria Shipp), who has become a doctor and the help of Shaft’s 6th man, the two try to get to the bottom of the case as well as find a way to bridge the gap between their differences. When the criminal from the past seems to be getting the upper hand by taking Sasha hostage, Shaft calls in the patriarch of the family, Shaft Sr. (Richard Rountree) in order to shut it all down.
Director Tim Story, along with Gordon Parks, the late John Singleton, and John Guillermin, did an excellent job of developing characters and bridging the gap between a family of outlaws and a young peacemaker who looks at life from an entirely different angle. This remake has definitely taken parts of the old and mixed in highly-relatable elements of relationship-building that are timeless. Samuel L. Jackson’s and Richard Roundtree’s range as actors definitely lends itself to the success of the remake and the lasting impact of bringing the gap between legions of generations to come. While quite a bit of strong language is used, it seems appropriate for the setting, and given that the majority of the film is shoot ‘em up, bang, bang, the exasperated comedy rounds out to be highly entertaining for the audience as a whole.
In theaters Friday, June 14th
