New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

Shaft (2000)

post #1 of 42
3/6/10 at 2:09pm
Thread Starter 
This film is essentially an exercise in 'hey, it's that guy' what with Bubs and Kema from the Wire popping up and several Oz alumni making appearances.

I'm pretty sure it's not a good movie, but it's got an interesting pace and style to it and Jeffrey Wright is fantastic as the main villain. I'm pretty sure he's not supposed to be the main villain, but Christian Bale is so underused as the real main villain that Wright feels like the major threat in the film.

Samuel L Jackson is great, love the few moments of genuine intensity he has, but he feels hamstrung by a script which doesn't know what it's doing. It's partially jokey but it's also trying to have the same intensity as the original and it just doesn't work.
Reply
post #2 of 42
3/6/10 at 2:12pm
Christian Bale does his Newsies accent in this, which makes it impossible for me to take him seriously.
Reply
post #3 of 42
3/6/10 at 2:22pm
Bale is so fantastic in this. He makes racism cool again, lol. I actually watched this one like 10 times in '09 all because of Bale's underrated but top notch villain

"Home boy got rhythm!"
Reply
post #4 of 42
3/6/10 at 2:22pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Spike Marshall View Post
Jeffrey Wright is fantastic as the main villain. I'm pretty sure he's not supposed to be the main villain, but Christian Bale is so underused as the real main villain that Wright feels like the major threat in the film.
You're correct. Test audiences responded real strongly to Wright's performance that re-writes(courtesy of Richard Price) and re-shoots were made to lengthen his character. Bale's character was suppose to have a mean fight scene with Jackson taking place in an airplane hanger bay, but was cut entirely to accomodate Wright's character.

I've only seen this once when it came out to theatres, and Wright stabbing himself with a tiny dagger and shouting at Shaft is so weird and hilarious.
Reply
post #5 of 42
3/6/10 at 2:23pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Walker View Post

I've only seen this once when it came out to theatres, and Wright stabbing himself with a tiny dagger and shouting at Shaft is so weird and hilarious.
"You kill my brother, you best kill me, homie!"

LOL

So great
Reply
post #6 of 42
3/6/10 at 2:28pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Princess Kate View Post
"You kill my brother, you best kill me, homie!"

LOL

So great
Yeah, I think I'm gonna revisit this!
Reply
post #7 of 42
3/6/10 at 2:33pm
Samuel Jackson is...John Shaft, but he is the...Nephew of the title character. To have Richard Roundtree still be the original Shaft is classic. Shaft, is still the only film including...Toni Collette that I enjoy. Vanessa Williams is great as a fellow cop as well. This is one remake, where the audience did not get...SHAFTed.
Reply
post #8 of 42
3/6/10 at 2:35pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by duke fleed View Post
Samuel Jackson is...John Shaft, but he is the...Nephew of the title character. To have Richard Roundtree still be the original Shaft is classic. Shaft, is still the only film including...Toni Collette that I enjoy. Vanessa Williams is great as a fellow cop as well. This is one remake, where the audience did not get...SHAFTed.

I liked that Roundtree was visibly annoyed with how hot headed the new Shaft was, like his nephew slightly pissed him off, LOL.
Reply
post #9 of 42
3/6/10 at 2:41pm
Despite some strong performances from Jackson, Wright, and Bale, it's pretty toothless and never threatens to challenge the effortless cool of the original film. I do like the scene where Wright and Bale are discussing business while Wright is taking a mean shit, that was pretty funny.
Reply
post #10 of 42
3/6/10 at 2:47pm
Thread Starter 
It's also the longest 90 minute movie in the world. It just goes on and on. I love how Christian Bale just vanishes halfway through the film and then gets shot by some grieving mother at the end. JUSTICE PREVAILS.
Reply
post #11 of 42
3/6/10 at 2:57pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Spike Marshall View Post
It's also the longest 90 minute movie in the world. It just goes on and on. I love how Christian Bale just vanishes halfway through the film and then gets shot by some grieving mother at the end. JUSTICE PREVAILS.
Bale should have been in it more. 'Home boy got rhythm' might be one of the most evil/hilarious lines of The Aughts

It's like, about as cartoonishly nasty as possible, but Bale is such a serious actor that he pulls it off and makes it believable... which makes it hella scary/funny

Kind of like his infamous delivery of "Have a Holly Jolly Christmas"
Reply
post #12 of 42
3/6/10 at 3:13pm
"Dis is eejisshian cottong, muthafuck. Two-twenny tread. More than half dat shitty-ass paycheck of yours."
Reply
post #13 of 42
3/6/10 at 3:15pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by mcnooj82 View Post
"Dis is eejisshian cottong, muthafuck. Two-twenny tread. More than half dat shitty-ass paycheck of yours."
"Do you know why they call me 'Peoples'?"

"Cause 'yoo always take care of yo peoples'"?

"How you know that?"
Reply
post #14 of 42
3/6/10 at 3:20pm
There was an article in EW around the time the film was released that went into some detail about the post-production woes and Price's contributions. I remember reading that Jackson came to blows with Singleton and Price because he didn't want a Caucasian writing Shaft's dialogue.

Which I thought was hilarious, considering that both the screenwriter of the original films and the novelist who created the character were both white.

And Roundtree is totally wasted playing his subdued, cop-friendly Shaft of the television series.
Reply
post #15 of 42
3/6/10 at 3:26pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Malmordo View Post
There was an article in EW around the time the film was released that went into some detail about the post-production woes and Price's contributions. I remember reading that Jackson came to blows with Singleton and Price because he didn't want a Caucasian writing Shaft's dialogue.

Which I thought was hilarious, considering that both the screenwriter of the original films and the novelist who created the character were both white.

And Roundtree is totally wasted playing his subdued, cop-friendly Shaft of the television series.
That's kind of a dumb moment in Sam Jackson history. That's why you need to know your shit. Richard Price isn't just some white dude.
Reply
post #16 of 42
3/6/10 at 3:37pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sean Bateman View Post
That's kind of a dumb moment in Sam Jackson history. That's why you need to know your shit. Richard Price isn't just some white dude.
More than likely it was Jackson's simmering frustration at Singleton's incompetence finally boiling over.
Reply
post #17 of 42
3/6/10 at 3:53pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Fat Elvis View Post
More than likely it was Jackson's simmering frustration at Singleton's incompetence finally boiling over.
Eh, I really like Four Brothers. I'm not sure why that movie gets hate.
Reply
post #18 of 42
3/6/10 at 4:02pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Fat Elvis View Post
More than likely it was Jackson's simmering frustration at Singleton's incompetence finally boiling over.
Singleton only has one good movie: Four Brothers.
Reply
post #19 of 42
3/6/10 at 4:11pm
That would be 2 FAST 2 FURIOUS, breh.

SHAFT's decent. Sam was game, the music is good and Peoples Hernandez is a charismatic wackjob of a villian. However, the whole thing gets bogged down by the Diane Palmieri bullshit. Also, Busta Rhymes is annoying.
Reply
post #20 of 42
3/6/10 at 4:12pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by wadew1 View Post
That would be 2 FAST 2 FURIOUS, breh.

SHAFT's decent. Sam was game, the music is good and Peoples Hernandez is a charismatic wackjob of a villian. However, the whole thing gets bogged down by the Diane Palmieri bullshit and Busta Rhymes is annoying.
Mr Busta WAS annoying! Just a very poor actor and his character was a lout.
Reply
post #21 of 42
3/6/10 at 4:18pm
Busta Rhymes was real good in Narc.

*cue Oscar clip*

A bloody and blunt Busta shouting at Jason Patric: "Yo' pardner Oak is DIRRTY!"
Reply
post #22 of 42
3/6/10 at 4:27pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Walker View Post
Busta Rhymes was real good in Narc.

*cue Oscar clip*

A bloody and blunt Busta shouting at Jason Patric: "Yo' pardner Oak is DIRRTY!"
I just watched FINDING FORRESTER again a few weeks ago. I forgot to comment about it on that thread (I didn't want to seem like I was picking on a black actor), but he was AWFUL in that too. His "they take eeeeeeeverything away from you!" speech is unintentional comedy gold!

EDIT Ive never seen NARC, but oddly enough it should be delivered to my Mom's house today by netflix! Someone on the "underrated of the Aughts" thread mentioned it and I queue'd it up
Reply
post #23 of 42
3/6/10 at 7:32pm
This movie is great for one scene and one scene only.

"Why you flinch?"
Reply
post #24 of 42
3/6/10 at 7:49pm
I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this. I caught the start of it late one night, and was shocked by how slimy Christian Bale was, and ended up being sucked into watching the whole thing.

It's nice to see an action movie with no affectations. It's just a straight-up, on-location, point-and-shoot, cool hero vs. despicable villains movie.
Reply
post #25 of 42
3/6/10 at 7:55pm
"It's my duty to please that booty."
Reply
post #26 of 42
3/6/10 at 11:46pm
This is a corny Hollywood action movie elevated almost every second by a huge cast of people who are all better than the movie deserves. There are definitely parts where you get a whiff of the crappy movie it could have been, but it's mostly fun and it holds together.
Reply
post #27 of 42
3/7/10 at 8:16am
MAJOR HIGHLIGHT:

Jeffery Wright taking a shit in front of Christian Bale. Game to the over.
Reply
post #28 of 42
3/7/10 at 8:29am
This is the film that finally brought home to me the fact that my leftover Boys N The Hood faith in John Singleton was completely misplaced and that he was in fact a very dull and shitty mainstream director.

I mean it was meant to be a sequel to fucking Shaft and that's what we got??? Get the fuck outta here. Should've given the directing gig to Mario Van Peebles.
Reply
post #29 of 42
3/7/10 at 8:40pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by The Rain Dog View Post
This is the film that finally brought home to me the fact that my leftover Boys N The Hood faith in John Singleton was completely misplaced and that he was in fact a very dull and shitty mainstream director.
I think everybody else discovered that back at POETIC JUSTICE. Or HIGHER LEARNING.
Reply
post #30 of 42
3/8/10 at 3:57am
Ugh, Higher Learning. Watched it on Hulu for free and felt ripped off.
Reply
post #31 of 42
5/18/10 at 12:16am
So I recently rewatched this because of this thread. Toothless, someone called it? Good word for it. Even as someone not all that well versed in what the original film meant in film history, this remake (or whatever it was) was terribly mediocre aside from a few spirited performances. Love David Arnold's score. Still loved Jeffrey Wright's performance. Laughed at Toni Collette's idiot brothers. But other than that... meh.
Reply
post #32 of 42
5/18/10 at 12:54am
Quote:
Originally Posted by The Rain Dog View Post
This is the film that finally brought home to me the fact that my leftover Boys N The Hood faith in John Singleton was completely misplaced and that he was in fact a very dull and shitty mainstream director.

I mean it was meant to be a sequel to fucking Shaft and that's what we got??? Get the fuck outta here. Should've given the directing gig to Mario Van Peebles.
Quote:
Originally Posted by mcnooj82 View Post
So I recently rewatched this because of this thread. Toothless, someone called it? Good word for it. Even as someone not all that well versed in what the original film meant in film history, this remake (or whatever it was) was terribly mediocre aside from a few spirited performances. Love David Arnold's score. Still loved Jeffrey Wright's performance. Laughed at Toni Collette's idiot brothers. But other than that... meh.
These Chewers speak the Truth!

I kinda of expected an angry, action packed yet tinged with social responsibility type of film, especially after Boys in the Hood. Instead I got an toothless TeeVee movie (guy taking a shit in front of Christian Bale and all)
Reply
post #33 of 42
5/18/10 at 1:02am
I watched the incredible '71 original for the umpteenth time the other day and it still holds up as a seriously great fucking movie and one of my favourites.

Gordon Parks should have tracked down Singleton and pistol whipped the asshole after he cashed in on his legacy like that. Fuck this sequel with a barge pole.
Reply
post #34 of 42
5/18/10 at 1:04am
Pretty sure this movie has a "Hey, it's that girl!" moment in the form of a fresh-faced (though she's still fresh-faced to me) Elizabeth Banks. I don't think she had any lines.
Reply
post #35 of 42
5/18/10 at 2:43pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by mcnooj82 View Post
Pretty sure this movie has a "Hey, it's that girl!" moment in the form of a fresh-faced (though she's still fresh-faced to me) Elizabeth Banks. I don't think she had any lines.
She has lines. I think she tells Sam Jackson about what happened breifly. Or I could be wrong
Reply
post #36 of 42
5/18/10 at 3:37pm
I think you might be thinking of the other blonde girl that Mekhi Pfifer's character was going out with. Elizabeth Banks was with some other dude on a double-date with them.
Reply
post #37 of 42
5/18/10 at 3:40pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by mcnooj82 View Post
I think you might be thinking of the other blonde girl that Mekhi Pfifer's character was going out with. Elizabeth Banks was with some other dude on a double-date with them.
Ah ok you're right. Sorry about that, McNooj82. As I recall you can see her character laughing/conversing before the Bale attack. You just can't hear her dialog
Reply
post #38 of 42
5/18/10 at 3:55pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Princess Kate View Post
the Bale attack
That's exactly what I'm going to call some fantastically impractical martial arts technique from now on. Flying crescent to wheel kick to back spinning tiger claw = The Bale Attack.

Anyone remember the WTF milk commercial moment in this movie?
Reply
post #39 of 42
5/18/10 at 4:04pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sphere_Monk View Post
That's exactly what I'm going to call some fantastically impractical martial arts technique from now on. Flying crescent to wheel kick to back spinning tiger claw = The Bale Attack.
Everyone knows that a Bale Attack is when you get beamed with pole from a parking queue. Didn't they teach you that on Wudan mountain?
Reply
post #40 of 42
5/18/10 at 4:13pm
Your version of The Bale Attack is acceptable if you find a place for a tiger claw in there somewhere
Reply
post #41 of 42
5/18/10 at 4:15pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sphere_Monk View Post
Your version of The Bale Attack is acceptable if you find a place for a tiger claw in there somewhere
I assume you'd be able to grapple the queue pole with a tigers claw.
Reply
post #42 of 42
5/18/10 at 4:20pm
I concur with your research's findings. It's implied that you have to tap X repeatedly to fill Bale's angst meter before you can do the special attack, though.
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: Films in Release or On Video