Mark Reviews Movies: SHAFT (2019)

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Review by Mark Dujsik | June 13, 2019

There are three John Shafts in Shaft, the third movie about a private detective (or a member of law enforcement who eventually transitions into the private sector at some point in the story) to have that title. The first Shaft, from 1971, gave us John Shaft, now known as John Shaft I, as portrayed by Richard Roundtree—"the black private dick that's a sex machine to all the chicks," according to his theme song.

The original Shaft was much more than that, though. He was tough, yes. He was smooth, yes. He was intelligent, yes, and yes, he could handle himself as well as and, often, even better than the various cops on the same case. The character was revolutionary, not because he was different, but because he fit the mold of so many private eyes from decades past. He also, to repeat the theme song again, was black, which meant something in 1971—and still means something now.

The second John Shaft, referred to then and now as John Shaft II (Even though this movie reveals that he's technically John Shaft Jr., we'll ignore that, because, as you'll find out in a bit, that only makes things more confusing), as portrayed by Samuel L. Jackson—not a private investigator at the beginning and less of a sex machine, at least that we see, because the 2000 film, also called Shaft, had some other things on its mind. It was a fine update of the character, played by Jackson with an attitude similar to Roundtree's portrayal but with a little more bite, and of the film noir stylings of the original film, albeit with a little more action.

Both of those John Shafts return—eventually, in the case of Roundtree's—in this new update, which gives us a third Shaft, named John Shaft Jr. (See what I meant?), or "J.J." This Shaft, played by Jessie T. Usher, doesn't care much for his surname, since his father, John II, left him and his mother Maya (Regina Hall) when J.J. was just a baby.

Over the next two decades and a handful of years, J.J. would get birthday and Christmas presents from his dad—a football championship ring, a box of condoms, and, for the kid's departure for college, a box of nudie magazines. By the time that last box arrived, J.J. had stopped caring what the father-turned-stranger had to say to or give him, and while dad was still working the streets of Harlem as a P.I., J.J. went on to become a data analyst for the FBI.

Obviously, J.J. is a different Shaft—in age, in attitude, in street smarts (namely the lack thereof), in personality. This sequel/spin-off, directed by Tim Story, is also a different direction for the series, ignoring the noir plotting of both of its same-name predecessors and diving head-first into the realm of action-comedy, with an emphasis on the comedy. It's different but definitely not better or good or particularly faithful to spirit and legacy the series.

The plot has J.J. trying to discover the true circumstances of his best friend's death. Quickly realizing his limitations when dealing with criminals, J.J. asks his father for help.

The result is primarily a mismatched-buddy comedy, in which J.J. is more tech savvy, less keen on guns, more sensitive to social and cultural politics, and less comfortable with violence than his dad. John II, meanwhile, certainly looks and mostly acts the part of what we remembered from both the 1971 (since Jackson's interpretation was in the same vein) and 2000 films, but there's something considerably off about the attitude. Jackson remains charming and tough here, but as written by Kenya Barris and Alex Barnow, the character feels more like a parody version of the iconic sleuth.

John II, who's essentially the official Shaft of this version, is more akin to a second-hand account of what someone thinks the character is like, instead of what he has been. Chauvinistic and ruthlessly violent and sexist and homophobic (which is particularly strange, since the '71 film was surprisingly progressive in that sense), the gag is that John II's ways are some kind of ideal, while J.J.'s thoughtfulness and squeamishness at his father torturing someone are negatives.

As broad comedy, the mismatched pairing is occasionally amusing, and there is a certain joy when Roundtree shows up to show up both of the men following in his footsteps. Shaft, though, gets Shaft—the actual character(s) and the character's legacy—wrong, just for some easy laughs.

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