Shaft (2000 film)

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Shaft
DVD cover of Shaft.
Directed by	John Singleton
Produced by	Mark Roybal Scott Rudin Eric Steel
Written by	Ernest Tidyman (novel) John Singleton Shane Salerno Richard Price
Starring	Samuel L. Jackson
Distributed by	Paramount Pictures
Release date(s)	June 16, 2000 (USA)
Running time	99 min.
Language	English Spanish
Budget	$44,000,000 US (est.)
IMDb profile

Shaft is a 2000 movie that was directed by John Singleton. It is the sequel/spinoff of the 1971 original. The movie stars Samuel L. Jackson (as John Shaft), Toni Collette, Busta Rhymes, Vanessa L. Williams, Jeffrey Wright, and Christian Bale. The actor from the original movie, Richard Roundtree, also briefly reprises his role as John Shaft, the uncle to Jackson's character.

[edit] Plot

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

John Shaft is called in to investigate a racially motivated murder by Walter Wade Jr. (Christian Bale), the son of a wealthy tycoon. However the eye witness, Diane Palmieri (Toni Collette), disappears, and no trace is left of her. Due to Wade being let off on bail, he flees to Switzerland. Two years later, he returns confident that his connections and wealth will acquit him, so long as the waitress witness doesn't testify against him. Wade then enlists the help of a Dominican drug lord, Peoples Hernandez (Jeffrey Wright), to do his dirty business for him. Shaft must, with the help of his fellow detective Carmen Vasquez (Vanessa L. Williams), find Diane, whilst having to fight off Wade, Peoples and a host of corrupt officers and bring Wade to justice.

[edit] Trivia

The director of the original Shaft, Gordon Parks, appears in a cameo at the Lenox Lounge party as "Mr. P"; as an homage by director John Singleton to the original film.
Richard Roundtree is only six years older than Samuel L. Jackson.