Shaft 2019: Not Shaft 2000. Not Shaft 1971.

Shaft has been around since 1970.

Shaft returns to film with the Blu-Ray Combo Pack and DVD. It arrived on September 24. The Digital format appeared early on September 10.

DETECTIVE

John Shaft’s beginnings started in novel form. The book was published in 1970 by Ernest Tidyman and inspired the 1970s trilogy of films with Richard Roundtree in the lead role. He has appeared in every film.

Samuel L. Jackson became Shaft in 2000. This new 2019 chapter for Shaft makes the fifth in the series. They make a reference to the 1970s and 2000 Shaft in this new movie as to why there are three Shafts.

Shaft 2019 didn’t make a big impression for the summer movie release. It made just over $21 million at the domestic box office. It received an international release on Netflix. On that Tomatometer, it earned just a 32%

This New Line Cinema’s action-comedy was directed by Tim Story. Kenya Barris and Alex Barnow were the writers of the screenplay

Samuel L. Jackson and Richard Roundtree both return. The cast is rounded out with Jessie T. Usher, Regina Hall, Alexandra Shipp, Matt Lauria, Titus Welliver and Cliff ‘Method Man’ Smith.

TAKE

Would I buy this film? No.

I am someone who has never seen anything of Shaft before. It would never have been a movie I would rush out and see.

Also, I may not know what I am talking about. And if you are a fan of Samuel L. Jackson, it may be worthwhile just for him.

Was it a great movie? Not really. It has an ok mystery, that made it watchable for me for the 111 minutes.

Jessie T. Usher is JJ - aka John Shaft Jr. works for the FBI. When his best friend seems to die under mysterious circumstances, JJ decides he needs the help of a man, he hardly knows. His dad - John Shaft.

As the investigation unfolds, the senior Shaft may have an agenda of his own for helping his son.

It’s not a movie for everyone. It’s R-rated after all. There’s plenty of Samuel L. Jackson’s colourful language. Some violence and sometimes the movie tries too hard to be funny, and some people may just find it offensive.

(Rogerebert.com was so unimpressed it was 0.5 out of 4 stars as one example.)

It's also hard to deny, for nearly 50 years that Shaft has been around. There's certainly some appeal. 

SPECIAL FEATURES OVERVIEW

Can Ya Dig It? The Making of Shaft (10 minutes, 36 seconds)
- The behind-the-scenes-reel for the making of the movie. Talk of shooting locations, trying to stay true to Shaft, but adding into the man's point-of-view of today. 

A Complicated Man: The Shaft Legacy - Part One: A Bad Mother Born (15 minutes, 41 seconds.)

A Complicated Man: The Shaft Legacy - Part Two: No Questions Asked (14 minutes, 34 seconds.)

A Complicated Man: The Shaft Legacy - Part Three: A Legend of His Time (13 minutes, 57 seconds.)

- Surprisingly in-depth of the character of Shaft. Discussions include the novel and how the character of Shaft came to be. The trilogy of movies of Shaft with Richard Roundtree and making a movie in the 1970s. The director Gordon Parks. The knockoffs that tried to replicate Shaft with the blaxploitation genre of film. Why the genre of the movie seemed to have stopped. The music of Shaft, and these new Shafts with Samuel L. Jackson. 

Deleted Scenes (2 minutes, 54 seconds)
- Most scenes don't last longer than a few seconds. Don't really add a whole lot if they were included in the movie.

Gag Reel (4 minutes, 53 seconds.)
- Gag reel silliness. Maybe funny, I didn't find it all that funny

Warner Brothers Home Entertainment