Shaft (2019)

Director: Tim Story
Starring: Samuel L Jackson, Jessie T Usher, Richard Roundtree

Synopsis:
The estranged son of private detective John Shaft, a data analyst for the FBI, reconnects with his father to help him solve the murder of his friend.

Impressions:
At first I thought this was going to be a soft reboot of the franchise, but it is in fact a sequel to the 2000 Shaft (and even has the same title, in keeping with Hollywood's bizarre naming convention of late). When I heard that this movie was going to feature the clash of the figure of the modern day sensitive male with a bad mother—(shut yo' mouth), I was intrigued. For the most part it delightfully deconstructs some of the present nonsense, while tossing some bones to the altar of PC along the way. (You can spot the red herring a mile away. Even in a supposedly deconstructive film, some sacred cows aren't to be defiled.) The interplay between the elder and junior Shaft is amusing. I would've liked to see Richard Roundtree in a larger role to further play up the theme of the generation gap. The 2000 Shaft had far more colorful antagonists, but the action is fairly decent here. For a casual watch, I say it's worth giving a shot.

Rating:
Watch It