Intense, gripping, stylish and poignant

n my opinion it was a great movie with some interesting elements, even though having some plot holes and the ending probably was just too messy and crammed together, but still fun to watch and not your casual movie that is similar to all other ones.

A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

OK the action and the girls make it easier to watch, help to make it mainstream. And being Shaft, that the premise. But what does it mean? The lesson here? Don't mess with Samuel Jackson. OK. When he buffaloes a drug dealer, beats the sh*t out him and screams whats my name *******? Do you wanna see me again? Well, thats and effective way to make an point. Violence used at its best. The political point of making an outlawish pursuit of punishment to a racist stupid yuppie, that goes out free in a hypocritical society and soldout judges, police corruption and the everyday racism that there are still people who try to justify that, law abiding citizens or to put it in shaft clear words "nazis with a badge"In this context that the movie was made, and that we STILL live in, white folks, and sometimes even black folks, intellectual or not, might miss what it means and mistake it for just any action with hot girls movie. In the American reality, to have a black superhero, that challenges corrupt judges, knocks off the police, beat the hell out of rich criminals, helps the community, and got a bunch of girlfriends; hey man, you got a role model.

****SPOILERS****Remake of the original 1971 blockbuster "Shaft" that has it's star Richard Roundtree in it in a more or less cameo role as Uncle John Shaft that has the new & improved a**-kicker John Shaft II played by tough as nails and take no prisoners or BS from no one Samuel L. Jackson, who has since threatened to flee the country if Donald Trump gets elected president, getting himself involved with a spoiled rich kid Walter Wade Jr, Christian Bale, son of a top NYC real-estate developer who together with his father's money and political influence had escaped justice. That in that the only witness to his murder of Trey Howard, Mekhi Phifer, bartender Diane Palmieri, Toni Colette, was paid off by Wade Jr to shut up and get out of town until the heat's off him. With the case against Wade Jr. thrown out of court he skips his bail of $200,000 bail-just peanuts to him-and flees to Switzerland on a two year skiing vacation.It's now two years later that for some reason-being homesick I guess-Wade Jr. came back home to face the music and is re-arrested and allowed bail again that causes an outraged Shaft to quit the police department and track down on his own the missing Diane Palmieri to testify against him. While this is all going on Wade Jr. gets Dominican drug lord Peoples Hernandez, Jeffrey Wright, whom in met while in police custody to also track down Diane and whack her before Shaft can locate her. The rest of the movie has a slew of car chases as well as shoot outs with a body count that makes Shaft's mission to have Wade Jr. brought to justice for one murder look puny in comparison.***SPOILERS**** With all the shooting and killing in the movie you at some point forget the point what Shaft involvement in bringing Wade Jr to justice has to do with the movie. Shaft as well as his former police partner Officer Carman Vasquez, Vanessa Williams, knock off some two dozen bad guys including corrupt policemen Jack Roselli and Jimmy Groves,Dan Dedaya & Ruben Santiago-Hudson, by the time the film is finally over. The only saving grace in the movie is in the end when Wade Jr who looks like he going to get sprung for the third time is gunned down on the steps of the courthouse by the late and murdered Trey Howard's-remember him-mother Carla, Lynne Thigpen. It was Mrs. Howard who finally got the job done in bringing justice for her dead son Trey that no one in the movie, including Det. John Shaft, could!

I am rating this film a 'T' for Twaddle! in fact change that to a 'UT' for Utter Twaddle! Angelina Jolie is poncing and pouting away utilising her usual class A acting skills and those are the believable scenes. The film is filled with excuse after excuse for over played action scenes and the story line jumps so much you don't know where you are or why half the time. Granted there are twists that you don't see coming but sadly you literally don't care due to there being little to no depth to any of the characters. Clearly this has cost a huge fortune to make and if you like action films that make no sense then this will be right up your alley. Be careful not to fall down a huge plot hole though as this is riddled with them. One of the most ridiculous moments was when Jolie grabs a Russian style fur hat as she runs past a hat stall in order to disguise herself and in the next shot she is on a ferry unexplainably wearing a perfect matching cloak - oh well at least she looked like Nikita from the 80's Elton John track! Although having out of sheer nosiness just watched the Nikita video on you tube noticed Nikita looks rather like Jennifer Lawrence but perhaps I am just talking twaddle!

The story builds it's crime case well, keeping the mystery element existing while revealing new details and small surprises along the way. Yet it kind of throws back at how the focus character seems to be so resourceful and calm at what he's doing. I think the movie should have a more solid backgrounder on how he can do these things. The action side is not that good at all, having too much close up shots and cuts from shot to shot just don't seem to add to the suspense. The acting side also doesn't really offer something. Samuel L. Jackson's acting is surprisingly slightly a bit his own standard here, grinning too much at the wrong times. Christian Bale's upper lip definitely wrecks up his expressions all the entire time. Vanessa Williams can add a color to the story but that's just it.