Shaft (2000 film)

Shaft
File:Shaft movie poster 2001.jpg DVD cover of Shaft.
Directed by	John Singleton
Written by	Ernest Tidyman (novel) John Singleton Shane Salerno Richard Price
Produced by	Mark Roybal Scott Rudin Eric Steel
Starring	Samuel L. Jackson Christian Bale
Distributed by	Paramount Pictures
Release dates	June 16, 2000 (USA)
Running time	99 min.
Languages	English Spanish
Budget	$44,000,000 US (est.)

Shaft is a 2000 movie that was directed by John Singleton. It is the sequel/spinoff of the 1971 original. The movie stars Samuel L. Jackson (as John Shaft), Toni Collette, Busta Rhymes, Vanessa L. Williams, Jeffrey Wright, Mekhi Phifer and Christian Bale. The actor from the original movie, Richard Roundtree, also briefly reprises his role as John Shaft, the uncle to Jackson's character.

Plot

John Shaft is called in to investigate a racially motivated murder committed by Walter Wade (Christian Bale), the son of a wealthy tycoon. However, eye witness Diane Palmieri (Toni Collette) disappears without a trace. Having been let off on bail, Wade flees to Switzerland. Two years later, he returns confident that his connections and wealth will acquit him, so long as the waitress witness doesn't testify against him. Wade then enlists the help of a Dominican drug lord, Peoples Hernandez (Jeffrey Wright), to do his dirty business for him. Shaft must, with the help of his fellow detective Carmen Vasquez (Vanessa L. Williams), find Diane whilst having to fight off Wade, Peoples, several shot guns, and a host of corrupt officers in order to bring Wade to justice.

Sequel

There have been plans to make a sequel to 2000 remake of Shaft again staring Samuel L Jackson as John Shaft. Little is known at this point but its expected to be released sometime in 2009

Trivia

• The director of the original Shaft, Gordon Parks, appears in a cameo at the Lenox Lounge party as "Mr. P," as an homage by director John Singleton to the original film.
• Richard Roundtree is only six years older than Samuel L. Jackson.
• Although the legendary theme has the lyric "...a sex-machine with to all the chicks..." the only sex scene was cut and edited into the opening credit montage.
• Samuel L. Jackson uses the line, "That's some [fucked up] repugnant shit," which is from the scene "The Bonnie Situation" in Pulp Fiction

External links

• Shaft at Rotten Tomatoes
• Shaft at Box Office Mojo
• Shaft at IMDb