Hey has anyone seen that new Shaft movie on Netflix? I seriously didn't know about it until I saw the preview panel on Netflix some days ago. Instinctively I knew I had to watch it because it's gosh-darn Samuel L. Jackson (again) in the lead role! You just don't say no to any Sam 'Mother-Flerken' Jackson movies now do you?
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Talking about Sam Jackson being in the lead role again, I'm pretty sure everyone's seen or at least heard about that 2000 Shaft movie where Jackson played the protagonist of the movie. The movie is actually the fourth in the 'Shaft' universe of movies. Up to this point, Sam Jackson's Shaft or technically John Shaft II as per his actual birth name, has the belief that the original Shaft is his uncle. More on that later.
The 2000 movie has a rather dark undertone and I can say that it was pretty brutal with all the murder and bloodbath prominently played out throughout the movie.
Coming back to the 2019 Netflix Shaft movie, I was actually shocked to see that the movie has somehow morphed into an action-comedy flick, a stark contrast to its 2000 predecessor. Again, you just cannot NOT watch a Sam Jackson film especially when it has that comedic under tone to it. I'm not saying that the change from super-serious to comedy didn't help the new 2019 film. It did, at least to me.
In actual fact, the 2019 Shaft movie had a cinematic release in North America sometime in the early half of 2019 but it was eventually given to Netflix hence many thought that this was a Netflix exclusive movie.
The premise for the new movie is kinda expected where it started off with a backstory to show how Shaft II first decided to leave his wife and infant son in fear of losing them to the violent world of fighting gangsters and all. Inevitably the 3rd generation Shaft, who's name is JJ (but we all know he's really John Shaft III) grew up without a father figure, is forced to rekindle his love-hate relationship with his old man when his best mate is murdered under a mysterious circumstances. Who else can solve a murder case best if not for the elder Shaft himself.
Regina Hall plays the part of JJ's mother and I can't help but remember her best for playing hilarious roles in movies from the Scary Movie franchise.
The movie got even funnier when we were treated with a cameo or rather supporting role from the 'original' Shaft, the man himself, actor Richard Roundtree. By this point in the movie, Sam Jackson's Shaft finally revealed that the original Shaft was in actual fact his biological father. Further hilarity ensued when all three of them joined forces to take out the bad guy at the climax of the movie.
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For those not in the know, Roundtree played the original Shaft back in the early 70s and the three movies are now considered cult classics. The movies, part of the blaxploitation genre defining movies of the 70s, were originally aimed towards the African-American audiences of the era but soon the genre became popular enough to transcend all ethnic barriers.
So for those who still haven't caught the new Shaft (2019) movie, you might wanna try watching Roundtree's three movies first before moving on to Sam Jackson's films just for the fun comparison exercise.
Yup, even that cheesily titled Shaft in Africa flick.
.
.
Talking about Sam Jackson being in the lead role again, I'm pretty sure everyone's seen or at least heard about that 2000 Shaft movie where Jackson played the protagonist of the movie. The movie is actually the fourth in the 'Shaft' universe of movies. Up to this point, Sam Jackson's Shaft or technically John Shaft II as per his actual birth name, has the belief that the original Shaft is his uncle. More on that later. The 2000 movie has a rather dark undertone and I can say that it was pretty brutal with all the murder and bloodbath prominently played out throughout the movie.
Coming back to the 2019 Netflix Shaft movie, I was actually shocked to see that the movie has somehow morphed into an action-comedy flick, a stark contrast to its 2000 predecessor. Again, you just cannot NOT watch a Sam Jackson film especially when it has that comedic under tone to it. I'm not saying that the change from super-serious to comedy didn't help the new 2019 film. It did, at least to me.
The premise for the new movie is kinda expected where it started off with a backstory to show how Shaft II first decided to leave his wife and infant son in fear of losing them to the violent world of fighting gangsters and all. Inevitably the 3rd generation Shaft, who's name is JJ (but we all know he's really John Shaft III) grew up without a father figure, is forced to rekindle his love-hate relationship with his old man when his best mate is murdered under a mysterious circumstances. Who else can solve a murder case best if not for the elder Shaft himself.
Regina Hall plays the part of JJ's mother and I can't help but remember her best for playing hilarious roles in movies from the Scary Movie franchise.
The movie got even funnier when we were treated with a cameo or rather supporting role from the 'original' Shaft, the man himself, actor Richard Roundtree. By this point in the movie, Sam Jackson's Shaft finally revealed that the original Shaft was in actual fact his biological father. Further hilarity ensued when all three of them joined forces to take out the bad guy at the climax of the movie.
.
.
.
For those not in the know, Roundtree played the original Shaft back in the early 70s and the three movies are now considered cult classics. The movies, part of the blaxploitation genre defining movies of the 70s, were originally aimed towards the African-American audiences of the era but soon the genre became popular enough to transcend all ethnic barriers. So for those who still haven't caught the new Shaft (2019) movie, you might wanna try watching Roundtree's three movies first before moving on to Sam Jackson's films just for the fun comparison exercise.
Yup, even that cheesily titled Shaft in Africa flick.
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