Richard Roundtree is a bad mother…Shut your mouth, detective that all the ladies loved in the original Shaft which debut in 1971. Samuel L Jackson stepped into the role in 2000 to show its relevancy in the new era. I'm not sure the purpose or relevancy of the latest release.
Why was it not called Shaft 2 or 3 since the last two Shafts are cast. To get you caught up, the original Shaft (Richard Roundtree) had a son (Samuel L Jackson), who later had a son (Jessie Usher) who is now a FBI agent.
Law enforcement remains in the family even though Shaft 3 is more on the technical side. JJ Shaft (Jessie Usher) at first glance is the opposite of his father. Raised by his mother (Regina Hall), is a geek millennial with a degree from MIT, who is a FBI data analyst in New York. The father- son reunion happens after the suspicious death of JJ's friend. In an effort to get to the truth, he hires his father.
“What kind of business could your Don Lemon ass need from me?” ask Shaft 2 once he discovers who he is. Much like the neighborhood kid who asks if he works at the Apple Store or Panera after seeing his dress, he is the center of many jokes. It is this comic relief and the antics of Shaft 2 that are the highlights of this film.
While rated R probably due to language and violence, it's a miss-matched buddy cop film worth sticking it out to watch.
Score: 3/5
Rating: Mature audiences due to language and violence
