Shaft 1971 by AverageMansReviews

Shaft 1971 by AverageMansReviews

Review Time

Warning: there is shooting/medical/reference to racism and drugs

Shaft works for a mobster: briefly; Private Detective John Shaft [Richard Roundtree:] he is a no nonsense private detective that gets things done, Bumpy Jonas [Moses Gunn:] he is high ranking mobster that there isn't much he doesn't know what goes on around Harlem, but he needs Private Detective Shaft to get his family member back.

Generally speaking: the script is solid, the framework and pacing of this 100 minute film is poor for most part good as it knows what it is doing and just get on with it, but I would say the last 20 minutes are agonisingly slow, to the point where I was falling asleep.

Comedy and action; there is some level of comedy in this title, but let's just say I can't make reference to it or censor it, because for someone with my complexion it would still come out and intensely and inadvertently somewhat racial Shaft and other African-American characters/performers can say this stuff but I can't. There is one comedy piece I can make reference to; and it is where Shaft briefly acts as a bartender where he gives free drinks: he makes a phone call to arrange for some police officers to come down to the bar and pick up these two individuals that he is communicating with as these two individuals are keeping an eye on his apartment from across the street, they clearly don't know what he looks like. So Shaft eventually drops the act, letting these two individuals his identity and pulls out a gun from underneath the bar and then these boys in blue come in and take them down town for questioning.

Character developments and performances; well on both counts they are good including chemistry throughout the cast, but it has to be said that Richard Roundtree as John Shaft, Moses Gunn as Bumpy Jonas, Drew Bundini Brown as Willy: he is the right-hand man to Jonah and Charles Cioffi as Lieutenant Vic Androzzi: he has a working relationship with Shaft and understands, by having a working relationship with Shaft what he is trying to achieve and he is the one that Shaft telephone calls for assistance. But between this for characters/performers endeavour to keep this film motoring forward and a special mention has to go out to Ron Tannas as Billy: Shaft gets him to do a favour and we hear a sex joke throw the confusion and Rex Robbins as Rollie: he is the gay bartender that for $20 allows Shaft to be the bartender for a while: these two individuals to provide bright moments when they are on-screen.

This film receives: 6/10, this film is good; even though I have been moderately praising this project, I would have given something slightly higher if it wasn't because on the last 20 minutes, so it is very match depending on if you like old school action film title really is depending if you want to see this film or not? There is some extra goings-on the closing credits and yes this film does have some awards accredited to its name; 6 Winners which include but not limited to Academy Awards, USA 1972 Oscar Best Music, Original Song Isaac Hayes For the song "Theme from Shaft" and MTV Movie + TV Awards 1994 MTV Movie Award Lifetime Achievement Richard Roundtree For the whole film series including as well Shaft's Big Score! (1972) and Shaft in Africa (1973.) 6 Nominees which also include but not limited to; back to the 1972 Oscars Best Music, Original Dramatic Score Isaac Hayes and Image Awards (NAACP) 1971 Image Award Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture Moses Gunn