Reviews (86)

So-so action film...
I've never watched the original Shaft, so I have nothing to base this remake on. It's not a very serious action film. Jeffrey Wright and Busta Rhymes providing most of the comic relief. It is interesting to note that Richard Rountree (the original shaft) and Gordon Parks (the original director) played parts in this film.

After watching this film, I can say I don't mind it. I've seen a lot worse, and I've seen better. Atleast with this film, you have Samuel Jackson playing another cool, suave character. It's too bad Venessa William didn't play a more integral part to the story. I would've liked to see a better dynamism between the two. But then again Shaft has always been a lone-ranger of sorts.

This is not a plot-heavy story. It's about a rich kid that murders an African American, but this crime is witnessed by a waitress who goes into hiding after being threatened. Shaft is disheartened by the inadequacy of the system and decides to investigate on his own. Like I said, not plot-heavy.

LEAP rating (each out of 5):
============================
L (Language) - 3 (nothing special, except for Jeff Wright's almost incomprehensible speech)
E (Erotica) - 1 (opening sequence and a good kiss scene)
A (Action) - 3.5 (unapologetic killings)
P (Plot) - 2 (simple plot)

This film should have gotten the "shaft"
"Shaft" (2000)

Shaft's (Richard Roundtree) nephew, also last-named Shaft (Samuel L. Jackson), is the star in this movie. But it is nothing like the original starring Roundtree and directed by Gordon Parks (although both of them make cameos in this film). The first "Shaft" was a blaxploitation flick and is a classic. This movie, directed by John Singleton, seems less black, more made-for-Hollywood. The plot is thin and unlike the original, the only love scene to be found is in pieces during the opening credits. And what was Busta Rhymes' purpose? It added nothing to the movie. Sorry, Sam Jackson is a hell of an actor but his Shaft doesn't make me forget about Roundtree's. -EJR

Singleton ruins yet another legend. somebody stop him.......
Samuel L. Jackson in Shaft could have been a great movie. He has the talent and skill to effectively play the role. Unfortunately, he is prevented from doing a giving a good performance because of the weak direction and script by Hack Extrodinare John Singleton. Someone please stop Mr. Singleton Before he directs again.
Singleton's terrible script and direction turns Shaft into a campy over-the top superhero movie instead of an intruigung murder mystery. Most of the characters come off like cartoonish stereotypes instead of real people the way they did in the 1971 original. Shaft fans know he is smart, smooth and clever; he's subtle about the way he does things. He's not a black batman wannabe as depicted in this film. Perhaps Mr. Singleton dreams of doing a Batman movie and thought he could apply those concepts here. He was sadly mistaken.
In the openeing scene he comes off as menacing and threatening, that he scares the witness even more and puts the white racist (Christian Bale) on the offensive by arresting him. A litle subtlety would have helped the story here and made the character more interesting. In the subplot our menacing shaft threatens a neighborhood drug dealer (Geoffrey Rush) and arrests him on some trumped up charges. While in jail the two consipire to find a witness who can finger Bale's character for the murder he committed. Sounds a lot like Batman Returns doesn't it? Just so he can have something to do, Shaft goes on a macho search to find the witness who can help his case. Personally, I think Singleton wanted to have a ton of frames of Sam Jackson looking cool in Armani leather. This goes on until the last act the movie which turns into a great big comic book action sequence chock full of shootings and mayhem. To conclude the story, the scene where Bale's character is coming to court to finally stand trial for his crimes is ripped straight from Mario Van Peebles ending scene of New Jack City.
Singleton wastes yet another opportunity and fails to utilize his cast of talented actors who do their best with his terrible script. Sadly, Gordon Parks, the man who wrote and directed the original Shaft was on set and Singleton did take the opportunity not pick his brain for ideas or even ask him what he was thinking when he set up certain scenes. This film would have been better if Singleton would have done thatn andjust STUDIED the films of this genere and understood the subtle nuances that make them work before starting this project. Then when he understood what made those films work he could then apply those approaches to his work. John Singleton needs to go back to film school. He still has a lot to learn about the craft of moviemaking.

VERY GOOD REMAKE OF THE 1971 CLASSIC
SHAFT'S SAME-NAMED NEPHEW [SAMUEL L. JACKSON] GOES AFTER A DOMINICAN DRUG LORD AND A RACIST SERIAL KILLER. VERY GOOD REMAKE. IT HAS PLENTY OF GOOD ACTION, AN INTERESTING STORY, AND IT HAS GOOD CHARACTERS. THIS IS ACTUALLY NO BETTER OR WORSE THAN THE ORIGINAL. RICHARD ROUNDTREE [WHO PLAYED THE ORIGINAL SHAFT] AND GORDON PARKS, JR. BOTH MAKE APPEARANCES IN THIS MOVIE.

wonderful remake
a great remake with Jackson being the man Shaft. good action with some unexpected turnabouts. Christian Bale is menacing as the racist who kills Mehki Phifer then has to answer to Shaft and Jeffrey Wright is a spectacular badguy as well. a good ride ... Read more

Reviews (54)

Simply the funniest movie of all time..........period!!!!
I've seen nearly every Rudy Ray Moore movie made and they're all hilarious, but this one takes the cake! When you see Queen Bee and her emotions when she helps bail out Dolemite, you'll probably shed a tear or two.....or ya could get a bucket of water and dump it over your head like she did. The woman deserved an Academy Award! And Creeper.....simply amazing...for crying out loud he had to have actually been high while making this movie. I recommend this video to everyone, I've shown it to just about everyone I know and they all think it's hilarious. I also recommend Dolemite 2: The Human Tornado...it's even funnier.

Dolemite is a super bad ...in a super good movie!
On the surface Dolemite is a bad movie. Bad acting, bad production values and a bad script. So why does it work so well? Heart. Rudy Ray Moore and Company put up such a great effort that this movie that it overcomes all the obstacles it faces. Rudy Ray Moore's, Jerry Jones and D'urville Martin made this film with a $100,000 budget and did a better job than some filmmakers with $100 million budgets. The one thing I love this bout this film is that everyone does their best in spite of the low budget and poor production values. You want to see Rudy Ray Moore get even with Willie Green and those insecure, no business born, junkyard rat soup eating ... And you howl laughing every time he goes into one of his classic "toasts" or shoots off a one liner.
Sure the movie is awful. But the blaring errors only make it better. The boom mikes in shots, shadows of production crew in frames and horribly choreographed fights are so hilarious they only make the comedy funnier. If you want a great movie buy citizen Kane. If you want a fun movie get Dolemite. It's so bad it'll kick your DVD's ...twice a day.

Don't Buy It For Quality, But for Laughs!
As an avid fan of the Blaxploitation Genre, you find that quite often, people shoot down these classics. The reasons ranging from Bad acting to terrible DVD Quality. However, if you don't try and dissect these films, but just watch them, then you will be greatly entertained. "Dolemite" is no doubt a prime example. I own the Box Set of "Dolemite" films, and it is very much worth watching. I see hanging mics, and various other mistakes in filmmaking (including poor editing of a love scene), but I found myself laughing until I cried. In addition to that, I have borrowed some very memorable lines for conversations at work!!!

CLASSIC!!!!!!
This flick is classic!!!!! It's not only funny as hell, it has some interesting characters!! Like Queen Bee, and Dolemite's Kung Fu girls, the Hamburger Pimp, Blakeley the cop, Joe Blow...the lover man...."you should be paying me!!", Willie Green and Dolemite himself!!! The styles, with the clothes, the talk, and all that. The direction is horrible, so is the acting, but that some of the things that makes it funny!! But I still love it. Look out for all....Look the scene where they show the band playing at The Total Experience. For about a few seconds (good enough to see the singer's face....(I think is is on the piano, can't see what he is actually playing) You will see a very, very young...James Ingram....(for all those R&B kats that know who he is) That is him...Still looks the same, but with a perm!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rudy Ray Moore: Blaxploitation God
So there's really not anything that's actually "good" about this movie. The boom mike has a starring role, the acting is completely atrocious, and I can't remember what the story was 5 minutes after watching the film.

Even so, this movie is totally and wonderfully great. It posesses in spades what many hugh blockbuster do not have: soul and inspiration. Rudy Ray Moore is a middle aged, pretty flabby dude. By looking at him, I'm simply not going to buy into him being a kung fu master and Don Juan to all the ladies. But he seems to believe that he is, and this giddy fun manages to translate to the film.

Don't pop in this DVD if you want a well-made, conventional film; "Dolemite" sits firmly in cult territory. For the cult film lover though, it's hard to disparage bad kung fu, kung fu prostitutes, a hero that commits some pretty serious crimes (which the movie wonderfully fails to adress) and strange and bewildering proto-rapping from Moore himself. This movie is endlessly rewatchable. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

unparalleled fun
Great, funny, outrageous.... This set has a combination of both dry and "wet" humor. I am a big fan of black comedy and this is definitely a great set to start with, especiallyl for me. During the time of these acts being filmed I was barely in elementary and was clueless about cable television, so watching this now, certainly takes me back to memory lane of all the things that were happening at that time. Great collection if you want to start your comedy library, no dvd collection should be without!!! ... Read more

Reviews (39)

Decent (not great) presentation of drive-in classic
Of course, if you're reading this, you probably already know that "Shaft" is an above-average blaxploitation flick with Richard Roundree as a private detective hired to track down a Harlem gang boss' missing daughter. With dialogue like "You got problems, Shaft?" "Yeah, two of 'em. I was born black and I was born poor." you really can't lose.

So on with the DVD. The film itself is nicely letterboxed (I think for the first time), and while it's not made from the greatest print (there are a couple scratches), it's a perfectly acceptable presentation.

Extras include trailers for all three Shaft flicks . This is great--I wish Warner had done the same with their "Dirty Harry" DVD. (They did with the VHS version.) There's also a 1971-produced short "Making of" film and the option to view the movie in French (a surreal experience, to be sure.)

The cast and crew bios, however, are pretty meager, offering only a relatively complete portrait of Richard Roundtree. Where's Moses Gunn? Or Gordon Parks? The "Awards" option is pretty worthless as well, showing that the movie won the Oscar for "Best Original Song."

Oh, yes, and there's no commentary track with Director Parks as is described on the Amazon site. Forgivably, it's not mentioned on the DVD box, so this is probably just something that didn't pan out at the last minute.

It's still lots of fun, but not what it could have been.

A Winner!
This is the genuine original "Shaft" from 1971, with Richard Roundtree, that scored so well with inner-city (read: African-American) audiences that it spawned two sequels and created a new mini-genre, the grudgingly titled "Blaxploitation" films. As a kid living in a rural white area at the time, I missed this important and popular movie until I saw it last week in my VCR. And you know what? It's good.

Shaft is a private investigator who is hired by a local crime boss to find his beautiful, vulnerable daughter, who has been kidnapped by a rival ring from New Jersey. This is no small potatoes: a major drug war could break out between Jersey and Harlem if the problem isn't resolved soon. By the way, someone goes crashing through Shaft's very high office window in his presence, so Shaft has to bargain and barter with his only sympathetic contact in the NYPD to keep from being arrested on a murder charge. Shaft has to work on his own, under cover, without most of the advantages the police enjoy.

The performances in this film are wonderful. It shows how shamefully Hollywood has ignored black talent that actors the caliber of Moses Gunn didn't get steady work, and the situation is only marginally better today. The talent brings conviction to a gangster plot line that is really just an update of 1930s material, minimizing its formulaic quality and keeping it fresh. There are also sharp points made about the realities of urban black life. Example: A taxicab pauses, then zooms by well-dressed Shaft, only to stop 50 feet up the street to pick up a similarly dressed white guy. It's stuff like this that raises "Shaft" well above the movie-of-the-week level that infects so many routine and direct-to-video films.

I think that time may have actually improved "Shaft." The violence is just violence. Shooting a gun is just that, not an invitation to buckets of blood. A car crash is a car crash, not a fireball. One thing the writers or producers seem a little conflicted about is the level of swearing: a character will say "[bad]" in one sentence, use the s-word in the next, then revert to "[bad]" Ditto those well-worn terms about fornication. Well, 1971 was a confusing time.

For a generation raised on Joe Fridays, Shaft is quite an interesting character, a handsome leather-clad James Bond without all the high-tech gadgetry. He has a nice apartment and a loving wife, but he also keeps a sleek, tasteful bachelor pad that Hugh Hefner might envy. He must be quite the successful P.I.! I suppose this bit of fantasy was meant to serve as relief to the gritty urban drama played out on the streets. At any rate, I didn't mind it. If you're sitting on the fence about this movie, buy the tape; it's quite cheap.

The original
Gordon Parks created a sensation in Shaft with an ultracool performance by Richard Roundtree who went onto to do several films in this series. However none holds up as well as does the first film, which plays just as well today as it did in the 70's. Shaft was the quintessential rogue cop, taking orders from no one and tracking down the crooks no matter where they hid in the city. But what really makes this movie work is the feel Parks has for New York, capturing the quality of the inner city like few others have been able to do. One is carried along on the hip soundtrack by Isaac Hayes, taking in the mean streets of Harlem as Shaft fights both the corrupt police force and the underworld. Always one to do it his own way.

The mob wanted Harlem back. They got shaft...up to here.
That title is the films original tagline...and they got the shaft allright!

Shaft is a great 70's urban classic. The film is beautifully photographed and staged. The atmospheric camera work captures the streets of New York, always keeping the look of the film harsh and cold. The color scheme is typical 70's muted with acidic contrasts, but at the same time uses a number of blue tinges, especially in the outdoors, to suggest the cold environment the people are facing.

The DVD is presented in the film's original 1.85:1 theatrical aspect ratio as well as an open matte (fullscreen) transfer that adds some picture information at the top and the bottom of the screen. The transfers look pretty darned good for a 1971 flick. Audio is presented in the film's original monaural track and is fairly weak, though acceptable.

The DVD features includes a bonus documentary "Filming Shaft on Location", three trailers and cast biographies.

You gotta love Shaft & Richard Rountree. A great flick and a great DVD.

THE BEST OF THE BLAXPLOITATION FILMS
PERHAPS THE BEST BLAXPLOITATION FILM OF THEM ALL. JOHN SHAFT [RICHARD ROUNDTREE] IS HIRED TO INVESTIGATE THE KIDNAPPING OF A GANG LORD'S DAUGHTER. VERY INTERESTING MOVIE WIH LOTS OF GREAT MUSIC. THE FILM ALSO HAS A SHARP SENSE OF HUMOR. FOR A FUN TIME, CHECK OUT THIS CLASSIC 1971 ACTIONER. ISSAC HAYES WON AN OSCAR FOR THE SHAFT THEME SONG. FOLLOWED BY TWO SEQUELS, A TV SERIES, AND WAS REMADE [SORT OF] IN 2000. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Ghetto Surrealism
This film is THE most deranged, horrific, nasty, disturbing, idiotic mess I have EVER seen pass itself off as a comedy. It's awesome.

At first, I thought this was the most inept movie ever made, but now I see that Rudy Ray and his partner in crime Cliff Roqumore made the first piece of Ghetto Surrealism to stink up the screen (This movie does actually bring to mind certain unpleasant odors). This accomplishment should not be denegrated simply because it was undoubtedly unintentional. Technical flaws aside(and they are plenty ample), there are images and scenarios in this film which play out in mind like a reoccuring nightmare(none of which I can recount without being censored). It is one of the most scatalogically obsessed films outside of Pink Flamingos or Salo, but I think it is more successful than either in its attempts to outrage.

The performances are all variations on racial stereotypes and ghetto caricatures. This film plays like some evil cartoon. Which is to say there is a devilish imagination at work, one with utter disregard for logic and restraint. And one, seemingly without any good intentions.

If you are looking for a twisted cinematic experience look no further.

Not Even Dolemite Can Save This Mess
Rudy Ray Moore was a comic ahead of his time--rapping',rhymin', jivin', conniving --but evenhis classic delivery can't save this low-budget, idiotic mess. You never see the mike hanging down like you did in Dolemite (a better movie), but it still reeks of amateur moviemaking, from the shabby script, to the bad performances, to the hokey martial arts sequences, and, worst of all, a Devil about as evil as your Aunt Bertha. Moore plays Petey Wheatstraw, a foul-mouthed, karate-kicking comic. He gets machine-gunned with a crowd of other people outside a church after a funeral. A couple of fatso, rival comics want Petey out of the way so he won't take away customers from their upcoming show. Dead, Petey makes a deal with the Devil, promising to marry his ugly daughter (whom we never see) to get his life back. He also gets a magical cane from the Devil which gives Petey special powers, even powers over the Devil himself! (That doesn't make sense, but neither does the movie.) The talented Moore offers some fine, raunchy moments. But so much of '70s blaxploitation was BAD, REALLY BAD, baby, and junk like Petey Wheatstraw undoubtedly hastened the cycle's demise. Still, you have to wonder the kind of hilarious movie Moore could have delivered with the backing of a major studio. Unfortunately, he was a little bit too much out there at the time.

Great Old-Fashioned Comedy!
While sitting on the couch trying to recover from an extremely painful tooth extraction, I looked around for a diversion. My eyes lighted on this video, which I had purchased previously but not yet viewed. I was not disappointed; this turned out to be one of the funniest movies I have seen in years! Every character and situation was taken to the extreme, the plot was ludicrous but oh so funny, and Petey's poetic jokes were hilarious. It looked like everyone was enjoying playing his/her role to the hilt. Petey's attempt to beat Lucifer at his own game was bound to fail, as we all knew it would, but it was sure fun watching him try to get out of marrying the ugliest woman ever seen. A few splashes of wisdom are thrown in for good measure. Leroy and Skillet were a comedy team who should have gone straight to the top of the comedic ladder of fame; they were funny enough to build a TV series around their shenanigans. It looked like everyone was having a great time making this film. I laughed from beginning to end and it sure helped take my mind off my throbbing jaw. This movie is offensive only if you are the type of person who takes life way too seriously and cannot laugh at his/her own human foibles. Though raunchy at times, it is a relief to view a comedy that doesn't rely on a continuous stream of sexual jokes to succeed, but creates a nice balance which results in a comedy all adults can enjoy. It has certainly gained a place among my top 10 most favorite comedy films. If you are willing to suspend any semblance of reality and just want to have a good time, get this movie. It is just the thing to brighten your day. Thank you, Mr. Wheatstraw and company, for reminding us that life does have its lighter moments.

Petey Wheatstraw...a Blaxploitation classic!
For anyone looking for a serious movie about Blacks in the 70's you probably don't want to watch this. But if you grew up in the ghetto and you're looking for something GHETTO FABULOUS then this is your movie. If you're looking for a movie that is absolutely HILARIOUS this is your movie. This is truly a classic and I saw it for the first time when I was in the 9th grade about 18 years ago. Up until now, I had not been able to find it, and when I would mention it to people, only the "real" people I met had seen it. Everything about the movie was wrong, the lighting, the acting, the costumes, and especially the karate (I know Bruce Lee was (mad)!), but it was so wrong that it was funny as HELL. Even the people who say they hate it know they had to laugh when he tried to use that fake Jamaican accent to get into Leroy & Skillet's show. Or when Philadelphia Nell (OK..HELLO...the movie was shot in LA) kept answering the phone with that GHETTO "Hello". There are 2 movies that every Black person should own. ROOTS and this movie.

Helped Seal the lid on Blaxploitation's coffin
I saw this junk at a ghetto theater in Charleston, SC in 1978. Even then, people were walking out on this trash and calling it ignorant! PEE-OOOH! The ever unfunny low-grade ghetto juke joint comic who deservedly never made the big time "Wild Man" Steve Gallon appears, telling bad defecation jokes. Skillet and Leroy (who were better at making comedy albums) come across as Amos and Andy on food stamps. Hold on to your stomachs, folks. This makes "Wild Man" Steve's "Super Soul Brother" look like "Gone With The Wind!" ... Read more

Reviews (15)

It's a great film
I love the Dolemite movies, which is quite possibly the greatest duo of films ever made. I'll never in my life forget the kung-fu action scenes and a naked Rudy Ray Moore rolling down a grassy hill in "The Human Tornado." These movies should be viewed every man, woman and child to walk the earth...they are truly an experience like no other.

The Kung-Fu is worth the purchase price alone!!!
Don't believe the fools who doubt Rudy Ray Moore!!! How can people look at the Dolemite movies seriously? The opening credits are printed on his GIANT JAMES-BROWN-STYLE CAPE!! You'll never enjoy the sensory overload and outright absurdity of these movies if you try to THINK about them. Just have a six-pack and a few smart-mouthed friends around when you watch it.

Nothing beats Dolemite's , jokin', hustlin' kung-fu ways. NOTHING!!! Step off, Batman!!!

I quote the man himself when I say: "Man, move over and let me pass, 'fore they has to be pullin' these Hush-Puppies out your ...!!"

My brother MADE me watch this, and I'm a changed man.

Dolemite's back!
Ok, last time we caught up with the godfather of rap he beat willie green and crooked politicans in a brilliant film. This time I'm affraid, Rudy Ray Moore fumbles. The Human Tornando succumbs to the sequel disease of being worse than the first one. It's not horrible it's a very good movie, but it tries to be to formulatic , it wants to be as good as the first one and use sub-plots resembly the first one.

The plot line, Dolemite leaves California behind and is somewhere in the south when he is caught with the sherrif's wife and jumps off a hill naked. The sherrif is pursuing him across the nation as dolemite puts his nightclub act on the go. He makes it back to Cali. and finds Queen Bee in some hot water with nightclub competiors, and Dolemite comes to the rescue. The movie's not horrible, but not as good as the 1st. It sometimes is choppy, hard to follow, and complete nonsense ( even more than in the original) Dolemite saves the day of course but a weird ending leaves you wanting a bit more well enough to leave on a high point. Remember the first had witty comebacks, and two rap songs performed you'll be lucky to catch him even run into rhyme this time. All in all this was good, close but no cigar.

Big time disapointed
I just loved the 1st one but the sequel was just too slow, not very funny and had lost it's charm. It just has a few memorable scenes.

A Dolemite Fan
Although the characters in this movie and other Dolemite movies
are a little rusty with their acting, I can't help but watch
these movies over and over again. The movie hits with the
rest of the top-rated movies of that era. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Just Old Classics
If you've ever watched MAD TV, they do some spoofs off of this series, which include many of the "problems" named in some of the above reviews.

The skit has horrible acting, silly rhymes, stupid villains, an unsteady camera, and just overall... heh, you get the point. Collector shows such as these sometimes get their "fame" on these grounds.

I cannot exactly recommend this, though =)

Must Have for Cheesy movie night
Ok I think this is really a horrible movie. The plot is the pimp drug dealer gets freed from jail to get a worse pimp drug dealer.

This is the primer for our cheesy movie night because no matter what we watch after this one it has to be better and usually is.

THe action sequences are horribly choreographed. the plot is horrendous. But somehow Dolemite seems to be abe to rhyme all his lines. This is probably not the movie for everyone and if you have never seen Dolemite before I would recommend renting it before you buy it to see if it is something you want in your collection. As for me I take the good with the bad.

The Greatest
This is a wonderful idea. To buy them all together not only saves money, but it will be easlier to keep together. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO SAY ABOUT THIS ONE
AFTER SEEING HOW ENTERTAINING THE ORIGINAL ''SHAFT'' WAS, I WAS DISSAPOINTED BY THIS SEQUEL. THIS TIME, SHAFT INVESTIGATES THE MURDER OF AN OLD FRIEND. SOMETHING THAT MADE THE FIRST FILM SO ENJOYABLE IS SIMPLY JUST MISSING FROM THIS ONE. THIS FILM IS MEDIOCRE AT TIMES, BUT THANKS TO RICHARD ROUNDTREE'S LIKABLE PERFORMANCE, AND THANKS TO THE EXPLOSIVE FINAL HALF HOUR, THIS FILM IS WATCHABLE. ONCE AGAIN, THE THEME SONG IS A HIGHLIGHT. FOLLOWED BY SHAFT IN AFRICA.

Nu Yawk's Koolest
Back in prehistoric times, John Shaft was the role model if you was a nice guy, Priest from Superfly was the man if you was dreaming of livin' the life. Shaft's Big Score the followup to the Cool Black crimefighter series, is a slickened up version of the much more grittier original. Still, the bad ... gets off. The climatic chase has been "rescene" in dozens of later films from Hollywood and around the world and Mr. Parks still doesn't get the proper props for bringing to the screen a cultural icon that despite time and Singleton's "nephew" is still the Man. The late Reverend O.C. Smith is too countrified for singing a Big City theme but the powers the be didn't want to pay Isaac"Black Moses-Voice of ... Reason Chef from South Park" Hayes asking price. But there is a tease of what it might of been in the club scene where somebodys' girlfriend swirls to the early '70s funk. Never mind the usher pass the joint and hand me the gin Shaft Big Score is smokin' Jim.

Shaft Is Back !! With Good Action Scenes and Sexy Smile
Because of the success of the original "Shaft," MGM upgraded the series, giving more action scenes and less nudity; so this time Shaft in the opening credits drives a car in the midnight New York while in the previous film he was walking down the street.

The basic of the story is not particuarly original. It is about the missing money from the safe of Shaft's friend and insurance broker. As Shaft starts his investigation, a crime syndicate is looking for the money while it tries to kill him, but of course, it's a very, very wrong idea. Our Shaft, keeping the police and Bumpy (Moses Gunn re-appearing from the original) at bay, gets what he wants, as always!

Gordon Parks (who had a long remarkable career as photographer, and himself appearing as a croupier here) demonstrates he is also good at presenting impressive action scenes, especially the chase scenes at the end of the film. However, by the today's standard, they might look too long and stretched. Actually, the stunts themselves are impressive, but if the editing had been tighter, they would be much better.

Richard Roundtree looks as sexy as ever, and entertains us with his suave way of talking to girls. Other characters are drawn better than original "Shaft." Charismatic Julius W Harris is cast effectively as a detective, and the idea of clarinet-playing gangster is interesting. And Drew Bundini Brown's Willy is a standout. The movie is a satisfactory, if not perfect, action thriller.

Effective Sequel
When a friend of Shaft is killed in an explosion, the super-slick private dick tries to track down the killer. During Shaft's investigation, he once again crosses paths with Bumpy Jones, the Harlem mob boss from the first film, as well as another ganster, Gus Mascola. Again Shaft begins to play all sides against each other, in order for him to get what he wants, revenge, and a big chunk of change! This film was rushed into production to cap on the success of the first film, and the hurried production shows in the film. The plot is kinda weak, and the classic dialogue from the superior predecessor is sorely missed. However, the awesome chase scenes at the end of the film, as well as the increases in both sex and the body count make this an over all fun ride. Followed by Shaft in Africa.

Shaft 2 is 2
Shaft's Big Score was the second entry of the series. The main let down was the music that was provided with O.C. Smith's vocals. It had some gems of dialogue like the elderly lady scene at the elevator. Being a vehicle showcasing black actors, it was a conversation piece for the African American while playing card or during breaks at work or school. It was a thrill to watch then and still is fun now. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

You don't understand! I ain't scared of you!
I initially bought this DVD because of Martin Lawrence. Ive seen alot of his films and thought they were funny. But i still thought him and will smith could not be the only black american comedians america has because in england all we have on terrestial TV(of black american comedy) are old re-runs of The Fresh Bel Air. So i purchased it wanting to discover more.In England we only have white comedy shows and although some of them are funny, I can not relate fully to them because of the cultural barrier between white english people and second generation african english culture.

In this DVD there are 3 shows:

One hosted by Martin Lawrence, the second by Chris Rock and the third Cedric the entertainer.

The first show is so funny all the comedians had me cracking up, and Bernie Mac had me in stitches.I would buy a DVD with just this show on it.

The second was OK but mostly due to the host Chris Rock. As the host he should get the audience fired up in anticpation. But he came and gave a below par performance. It was like he had not prepared for the show like he had just been drafted in at the last minute and did not want to be there. The comedians in this show were all different but i would have to say Dominique was the worst. Her set did not flow and had no relevance. I did not laugh once in fact i had to fast forward her a few times so that i did not cringe every time she talked.

Rudy Rush was quite good, he started good but did not follow through with the jokes.The other comedian was alright but his performance gained momentum as time went on. I basically only laughed at the end.

Now the show with Cedric the entertainer was sooooooo funny. I mean Cedric is such a joker. He upheld the whole show. The comedians in the show were good but Cedric was in a league of his own he had me laughing so many times, and he didn't mention sex once as many comedians in this series love to do.

Not as good as volume 1
This is a good DVD,but not as good as volume one.This DVD contains 3 episodes of HBO's groundbreaking comedy series Def Comedy Jam.The first one is hosted by Martin Lawrence,the second by Chris Rock,and the third by Cedric The Entertainer.The first show is hilarious!Every comedian is funny.Chris Tucker starts off this show.He gives a very funny performance.Kevin Anthony is next.His whole routine is about sex,but he is SOOO funny.Alonzo "Hamburger" Jones is next.I like the way he says "Hamburger" instead of a cuss word.Last,but not least,is the one and only Bernie Mac.Like Kevin Anthony,his whole routine is about sex,but he is SOO funny.In the second show,Chris Rock gave a terrible performance.He sounded like he didn't want to be there.The second comedian in this show,Dominique,is terrible also.The only famous comedian in this show is Rudy Rush.He gives a funny performance.Cedric's performance in the third show is great.Him and Mike Bonner are the only funny comedians in the show.

Tucker, Mac slaughtered it!!! Rock was lacklustre
From the outset Martin Lawrence starts one of the funniest comedies to date. The wide range of comedians from the unknown Chris Tucker (not anymore) to the brilliances of Bernie Mac, Cedric make this a classic. I do not have one bad thing to say about this video other than Chris Rock provided a very wack show, like he did not want to be there at all.

A great buy!!! ... Read more

Reviews (9)

A CHANGE OF PACE FOR SHAFT
THIS TIME, JOHN SHAFT [RICHARD ROUNDTREE] IS FORCED TO GO TO AFRICA TO INFILTRATE A 20TH CENTURY SLAVE CARTEL. I THINK IT'S GOOD THAT THEY TRYED TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT WITH THE SERIES. THOUGH IT STILL PALES IN COMPARISON TO THE ORIGINAL, IT'S STILL A DECENT ACTION FILM.

Bravo for Shaft!
Shaft does it again! He brings his street sense to Africa and woos an African princess in the process...and right under the watchful eye of her bodyguard! Too smooth! I was actually craving for more after this one...who knows, he might have done the same in Europe had more had been produced! Richard Roundtree was truly one of the hottest names in the business at that time as John Shaft. Get the other two as well to complete the collection ("Shaft" and "Shaft's Big Score").

Worth it for one line
Shaft is discussing an impending female circumcision with the African princess and suggests "We put a little wear and tear on that thing before they cut it off". SMOOOOVE

John Shaft Plays James Bond in Africa
Though the second sequel to "Shaft," there's no remaining trace of the first two "blaxploitation" films. "Shaft in Africa" looks more like a big-budget 007 film, and instead of Roger Moore, put Richard Roundtree in the hero's role.

The pair of director John Guillermin and writer Stirling Silliphant will definetely reminds you of "Towering Inferno," pinnacle of the "disaster movies" in vogue in the 70s, and "Shaft in Africa" has the same feeling -- it is packed with actions and violence, plus costly set (or shots on location). This time Shaft, in order to stop the modern-day slave trading in Africa, has to endure a chains of brutal attacks from enemies and the scorching heat of Afraica. The globe-trotting story leads him from NYC to Ethiopia, and then to France. And Shaft doesn't forget that he is THE sexy guy; Shaft's love is played by beautiful princess Vonetta McGee, and he even spends a good time with a white girl in bed.

If you expect "blaxploitation" films in "Shaft in Africa" you may be diappointed. It is no longer that. The total tone is nearer to films of James Bond (to which Shaft refers briefly) and actions never stop coming on screen between Shaft's one-liners. As far as the actions are concerned, it never lets you down, and you will see unique things here and there that you can find only in the 70s: in one scene Shaft, completely naked, proves that he can do stick-fighting (!).

Overall, "Shaft in Africa" is a good action film. Often its violence is excessive, but the film's pace is always slick and Roundtree plays convincingly the cool and sexy hero. There is no more Isaac Hayes theme song, but Four Tops's great song will make you forget that. And don't miss the airport scene in which Shaft has to take a photo with a lion. This lion (of course, he is a real one) is audacious enough to give him a quick, threatening look to him. Shaft (or Roundtree) doesn't look happy about that.

Please don't say it so loud!
I love bad movies and cult movies and all those groovy flicks from the 70's...but this was beyond bad. C"mon! I expected so much more from our favorite "Bad Mother [shut yo mouth!]..." ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Def Comedy Jam-A second opinion
I used to love Def Comedy Jam.I used to rent new ones every time I went to my local video store.But now I have seen a lot of other comedians and I decide I don't like them anymore.The main thing I don't like about them is the language.There are comics who cuss and are funny,but these guys cuss just for cussing's sake.All they talk about is sex,sex,and more sex.People,this is not comedy.The only comedian on this show I have EVER heard talk about something other then sex is Paul Mooney.He is not funny,but I respect him for talking about stuff other then sex.If you want a HILARIOUS comedy movie that has NOTHING objectionable to young kids,get Blue Collar Comedy Tour or Jeff Foxworthy's "Totally Commited".That is comedy that you can show to anybody unlike this garbage.

Def Comedy Jam is great
I rented this movie from Blockbuster and thought it would be good. The first show has Martin Lawrence as host and the comedians that are good on this are Pierre and D.L. Hughley. The others are okay. The second one has funny comedians J.Anthony Brown and Adele Givens. Adele really rocked it. She had everyone jumping on their seats, on the floor laughing. J. Anthony Brown was alright. If I were you,I would rent I first and if you like it, then buy it.

The greatest stand up TV Show!
I decided to check this out because I had heard good things about it,and D.L. Hughley is one of my favorite comedians.(This is the exact same reason why I checked out the Original Kings Of Comedy.)I was satisfied.This DVD contains 3 episodes of HBO's groundbreaking comedy series,"Def Comedy Jam".They each contain 4 comedians.They are all hosted by Martin Lawrence.This is one of the reasons why I didn't give this 5 stars.The first two shows on here are very funny,and the third one is OK.Two comedians on the third show aren't funny.One of them was Laura Hayes,from the Queens of Comedy.The other one was one of Russell Simmons' favorites.His name was Gi George.My favorites on here are D.L. Hughley,Ricky Harris,and the very first comedian on here.His name was AJ Jamal.There is A LOT of cussin' and swearin'.Every comedian also tells at least one sex joke.So if you have young children,DO NOT let them come CLOSE to the ENTIRE SERIES.Otherwise,sit back and enjoy the greatest stand up TV show ever recorded.I'm signing off for now.In the mean time check out the rest of the series,I guarantee you will like it.

25 Year-old Comedy Fan
Well, I actually just got this in the mail the other day. I had forgotten that I ordered it. The version I received from Time Life has the "2 Raw 4 TV" extras, and they are definitely worth it. The first two shows are very funny and the third one is OK. Two of the comedians on the third show were not very funny. Each show has four (4) comedians, for twelve acts total. The "2 Raw" segment has about five or six comedians and they are very raunchy but still funny.

There is a whole lot of cussin' and swearin', so if you're faint of heart with regards to profanity, you're going to want to avoid this whole series. Definitely, this DVD is worth the money. I had several friends who used to tape every episode when it used to come on HBO. This saves us a lot of trouble. The picture quality is good considering it was ten years ago and the sound is great. If you like good African American comedy, pick up this DVD. I'm going to check out the rest of the series. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

this is off da hook
keep up tha good work. very real and down to earth ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Get it while you can!
It's not very often this generation gets a chance to experience a real old-school R&B show. Thank God Rudy Ray Moore is still around to show 'em how it's done.
Until I saw this video I was only familiar with his stand-up routine and his movies. The singing came as quite a pleasant surprise. The guy can really carry a tune, and has a hell of a voice! He performs some old R&B standards and a few songs from a pair of cds he released a couple of years ago, both of which I now own.
The comedy routines are classic Rudy Ray, which, in my opinion, is just the coolest thing on Earth. The songs and the comedy just sort of drift into each other in an effortless fashion. Leading the band is Jimmy Lynch, who reminds me of Bo Diddly's sidekick Jerome, if anybody remembers back that far.
Rudy Ray Moore may be the last of his kind, but even if he wasn't he'd still be one of the best.

Didn't know what to expect.
My first exposure to Rudy Ray Moore was in his classic movie Dolemite. Sure, there was much reference to sex, and a bit of vulgarity, but that gave the movie its flavor. I laughed a lot with Dolemite, Petey Wheatstraw: The Devil's Son In Law, and Disco Godfather, but this video of his live comedy act just disgusted me.

It's a bunch of people standing around in a club, enjoying Mr. Ray Moore's performance. As anyone who has had any exposure to him knows, he is a pretty vulgar man. I was expecting him to just stand around telling jokes for a few hours, but it wound up being a BIG PERFORMANCE with MUSIC. If it were just jokes, I might be able to take it, however, the jokes were really raunchy. Hearing a man in his mid-60s talk about how large his MALE GENETALIA is, and how much he likes to have sex and all, while the background dancers and band just nod and act like his act is the best thing on the planet.

So maybe if I were drunk or something, I'd watch and enjoy this, but I think I will just stick to the comedy movies, THANK YOU. ... Read more