Shaft

Sometimes you will see a movie that is full of cliches, stereotypes, and so much political incorectness that you are sorry you wasted your money.  This was not that movie.  Despite being loaded with all those things, I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. Samuel L. Jackson plays Shaft, the ultra-cool, ultra-gritty, ultra-violent detective who has a son, Shaft, Jr. (Jessie Usher), whom he hasn’t seen in 25 years.  Shaft Jr. is now an FBI analyst, who abhors violence, wears designer clothing and is pretty intent on pursuing a successful career path in the Bureau.  The two join forces when Jr.’s best friend, a rehabilitated veteran, turns up dead under mysterious curcumstances and he needs the help of his long absent dad.  Between Junior and his very modern and centered doctor girlfriend, as well as his mom who Shaft had left when Jr was a baby, there is alot of interplay and adjustments to be addressed. There is also a lot of violence, as to be expected; but a lot of humorous banter, which was not expected. Look for Richard Roundtree (the original Shaft) as the kick-butt grandfather. This is not the kind of movie that will get good reviews, or win awards, but I found it highly entertaining.