Shaft (2000) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I actually cringed when I saw the trailer to this movie. It didn't show much except shot after shot of Samuel L. Jackson removing his designer sunglasses and staring at the camera. I thought it had the potential to be awful.
I was very wrong. The movie is not without plot holes and implausibility, but it still works thanks to great acting and solid direction. John Singleton takes on a genre film with this almost-sequel to the famous blaxploitation series of the 1970s. Jackson plays John Shaft--nephew of the original Shaft who appears here as the wise old uncle. It's Richard Roundtree himself doing the honors, getting screen time in a theatrical release for the first time in decades.
The story concerns a cold murder of a young black man by rich and twisted Walter Wade, son of wealthy New York society. Christian Bale comes right off the set of American Pyscho and plays the demented Wade with a more outwardly tough guy persona. Think Bateman and the Preppie Murderer, and you get the idea. (Even the faux-Brooklyn accent is funny.)
There's not a whole lot of mystery around here. Shaft basically swears to get this guy, and we know he will, no matter no long or how many people he has to shoot. Things get complicated when Wade hires a Dominican drug lord to whack out the sole witness to the murder. The drug lord is then linked to dirty cops who get contracted to kill Shaft and the girl.
In the end, a lot of people die. Shaft has the best marksmanship of any cop in the country as he guns down countless low-rent drug dealers and various minions. And clad in Armani, the coat alone costing half a cop's yearly salary, Jackson is the ultimate in cool.
Why does it work? For one, the writing is slick, even if it's (trouble sign) done by a literal team of writers. However, it all comes together once we realize who was hired for what. Richard Price, author of Clockers and Freedomland, clearly lends some street credibility to the dialogue, although apparent on-set tensions meants Jackson was unwilling to read everyone's lines.
Also, the main difference between the old and new Shaft is the decided absence of sex. Jackson is a man of action. Matter of fact, the lone sexual encounter (implied and not seen) is forced, as if the audience needs a reminder that Shaft can, ahem, deliver. Also, the strangely blue-lit title sequence features quick flashes of nudity and implied sex, though we never see who with. Again, inserted by the filmmakers after production. (They couldn't get Jackson back for reshoots.)
But it doesn't matter. Shaft has the best lines, the steely stare, and a fast Glock. The other highlight is Jeffrey Wright as Peoples Hernandez, the drug lord who longs to be able to travel out of his neighborhood and still get respect.
This has a very New York feel to it, and there are tons of Manhattan locations. David Arnold, who updated the James Bond scores so well in the Brosnan films, does a very nice job of supplying detective music. (Issac Hayes' original Shaft is redone by Hayes himself, though hardly different.) Too bad the score is not widely available on CD. You have to hunt for the limited edition disc that contains the entire score plus tracks not used in the final film.
The DVD is competent, including interviews, featurette, and music videos.
Highly recommended for those who like foul-mouthed tough cop movies where bad guys pay in the end.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Shaft (2000)

An African American detective tries to stop a racist killer, by tracking down the only eyewitness to his crimes.Genre: Feature Film-Action/AdventureRating: RRelease Date: 13-MAY-2003Media Type: DVD

Get 50% OFF

Click here for more information about Shaft (2000)

Afro Samurai (Director's Cut) (2007) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)There's no doubt that Afro Samurai has a cool and simple concept and a very bloody style. In this future world of feudal Japan nothing seems to matter but two headbands that represent the two best fighters. To get to the number one fighter you must go through the number two and to get to the number two you must go trough everyone else. This way of life that nobody should have to live especially a child who has nothing but the headbands and revenge on his mind. As a child Afro saw his father who was the number one fighter at the time get massacred by a man named Justice. After the fight is over Justice takes the number one headband off of the head of Afro's father, which was not too far away from his body. Justice tells Afro something similar to what Uma Thurman said to Vivica A. Fox's daughter in Kill Bill, that if he wanted revenge he would fight him when he came for him.
Afro took those words very seriously and took a few things of his fathers including his very cool Katana. Afro immediately went from an innocent child to an almost emotionless man with a ton of weight on him as he begins his vengeful journey. Afro Samurai is a unique anime or story for that matter. You don't see too many people willing to put out a story with basically nothing but very bloody fight scenes for about two episodes before a really good story starts up. Especially in a 5 part series where the episodes are only between 20 and 30 minutes long. I can't lie because I love stuff like that and it made Afro Samurai all the more tempting to finish watching. The second is that this was a pricy anime to make costing $1 million per episode so I'm sure a few viewers from the Hip hop community were expected to watch this. Even if you're an action film fan you have to admit when there's too much action and not enough story Even in a revenge tail like Kill Bill with a certain scene that this anime could relate to 88 times over it had a mystery and story.
Afro was on the verge of being in the too much and not enough category and then a cool story hits you somewhere around the end of episode two. Flashbacks of Afro's life are showed, you see him as a kid again and the people who took him in and gave him his gritty skills. All throughout the 5 part series you see that the money was well spent because the animation is amazing and beautiful. The things that Afro does with his skills are crazy and this animation was a giant step up for anime samurai fight scene, it was flawless. The voice actors are great including Sam Jackson who is great for co-producing this and putting his foot in it.
I think it would have been cool to actually give Afro a real name, it's cool for people that take him on to call him Afro but I think he should have had a name for his other life before he became the Afro Samurai. In other words I kind of wish the story went just a bit deeper with a little bit more complexity. I think that Afro Samurai is a great series that everyone should see especially to view its beautiful quality.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Afro Samurai (Director's Cut) (2007)

Ice Cold Soul and a Jones For Revenge
Afro Samurai (voiced by Academy Award nominated Samuel L. Jackson) is an epic tale of a black samurai's hunt for Justice (voiced by Ron Perlman: Hellboy Alien Resurrection ) who murdered his father. With music score by The RZA ( Kill Bill Wu Tang Clan) Afro Samurai blends traditional Japanese culture, funky technology and hip hop to create a brutally fresh entertainment experience.
Director's Cut features:
15 MINUTES OF NEVER BEFORE SEEN FOOTAGE
Exclusive Manga art from Afro Samurai Creator, Takashi Okazaki
In the Booth with RZA - Music Production Tour
Director's Cut Edition of Afro Samurai is a 2-disc set with over 170 minutes of action!
All the cool action at a hot new price!

Get 41% OFF

Click here for more information about Afro Samurai (Director's Cut) (2007)

Unbreakable (Two-Disc Vista Series) (2000) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)These days any film associated with comics is likely to be a special effects extravaganza full of action and short on character development. Well director M. Night Shyamalan has taken us in a different direction, (no surprise there). His film, "Unbreakable", explores the action comic philosophy without becoming an action comic itself. You won't see men in spandex leaping from tall buildings to save the day. What you will see is a thoughtful investigation of the unusual skills we humans may or may not have, and the choices we make regarding their use.
I have a talent for putting holes in T-shirts. My sister can permanently stop any watch she wears for a few weeks. It's hard to see either of us becoming crime fighters or maniacal masterminds on the strength of these talents but it does makes you think. Let's stretch our imaginations a little further. What if a man had the uncanny luck to avoid virtually all injury or illness? Could this be significant? Would he even notice? Where would it lead him?
Unbreakable introduces us to such a man. Bruce Willis plays David Dunn, the sole survivor of a tragic train derailment that killed the other 131 passengers. David walks away without a scratch and barely notices his fifteen minutes of fame on the local news channels. But at least one other person takes note of David's uncanny good fortune. Elijah Price is an art dealer, played convincingly by Samuel L Jackson. His gallery specializes in comic art and he is very passionate about the seriousness of his chosen profession and it's medium.
Elijah believes that action comics represent an ancient wisdom, exaggerated and commercialized but still containing an essence of truth. His theory is that there are people with extraordinary abilities and that these people have a destiny. Whether these people become legendary hero's or any other larger than life figure depends on them realizing their destiny and fulfilling their potential. In David Dunn, he suspects lies the heart of a hero and Elijah's obsession soon drags David and his family into a new world.
Shyamalan takes his time with this story. It could have very easily been boring, because when boiled down, little actually happens. However, Unbreakable avoids that trap and becomes instead, a strange mixture of longing, suspense and doubt. We truly get to know David's wife Audrey and his son Joseph. They are not an atypical family; marital problems, boredom and some other dysfunctions feature at the start of the story. In a way, David's gradually more serious attempts to explore his "gift" become the catalyst to improve his home life.
The sub-plot of David's crumbling relationship with Audrey, (Robin Wright), is not fully explored but we are given several clues that make it interesting. David is chasing job offers in another city, even after the accident little emotion passes between he and Audrey, and they sleep separately. All of which points to a lack of love. But to counter this we discover that David sacrificed a promising football career to capture Audrey's heart and, even in the hardest times, he has remained faithful to her. I like these quiet story lines, where nothing is forced down your throat and you have to work it out on your own.
By far the most interesting character is Elijah. Born with a brittle bone disease, his life has been crowded with pain, torment and ostracism. At school he was taunted with the moniker, "Mr. Glass", and to an extent he has embraced this title. If you look closely, you will see that he is always close to glass, for example, his fragile glass walking stick. Elijah is a fighter. His mother headed off a life of seclusion when he was a depressed boy and convinced him to accept life's challenges, eventually leading to his becoming a professional success. Elijah's passion and conviction are magnetic. He not only draws David and his son into the world of duty/destiny but the audience is forced to believe, long before David starts to.
Unbreakable is a subtle film about taking risks, acknowledging hope and following dreams. Whether we have special gifts or not, it challenges us to take a look around and try to find opportunities to make a difference; to stand up to the small and large evils in this world and do our part. I can only hope we see more of these inspiring characters in future films. I want to feel this way again.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Unbreakable (Two-Disc Vista Series) (2000)

Bruce Willis and Samuel L. Jackson star in a mind-shattering, suspense-filled thriller that stays with you long after the end of this riveting supernatural film. After David Dunn (Willis) emerges from a horrific train crash as the sole survivor -- and without a single scratch on him -- he meets a mysterious sranger (Jackson). An unsettling stranger who believes comic book heroes walk the earth. A haunting stranger, whose obsession with David will change David's life forever.

Get 42% OFF

Click here for more information about Unbreakable (Two-Disc Vista Series) (2000)