I’ll be honest, I didn’t think the world needed another Shaft movie, but it looks like they are taking this new film in an interesting new direction while still paying respect to both the original 1971 film starring Richard Roundtree and the 2000 film starring Samuel L. Jackson (both of whom appear in the film as their original characters). This time around the story will focus on John Shaft Jr, played by Jesse T. Usher. When a friend of his is killed, he must turn to his father and Grandfather for help in solving the mystery. The result is a film that feels a lot more humor-forward than previous chapters. I wouldn’t call this a reboot, but more of a requel in the same vein as Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
JJ, aka John Shaft Jr. (Jesse T. Usher), may be a cyber security expert with a degree from MIT, but to uncover the truth behind his best friend’s untimely death, he needs an education only his dad can provide. Absent throughout JJ’s youth, the legendary locked-and-loaded John Shaft (Samuel L. Jackson) agrees to help his progeny navigate Harlem’s heroin-infested underbelly. And while JJ’s own FBI analyst’s badge may clash with his dad’s trademark leather duster, there’s no denying family. Besides, Shaft’s got an agenda of his own, and a score to settle that’s professional and personal.