Shaft: borrasca mortal

Shaft (Richard Roundtree) investigates the murder of an old friend and finds himself in a war between mobsters and pimps. OK blaxploitation sequel isn't as good as the first film but is still entertaining. The plot seems like something taken from some old private detective movie from the '40s and updated to the gritty '70s. Director Gordon Parks also does the music for this one. It's not bad but not as good as Isaac Hayes. My favorite scene is the one that goes back & forth between the sexy dancers in body paint and Shaft getting his butt kicked in slow motion backstage. Overall, not bad but not particularly memorable. Shaft is still cool and there are several sexy ladies and lots of colorful dialogue. It will keep you entertained throughout.

Due the great success at Box-Office the producers right away schedule a sequel putting more money in the budge, allowing gets helicopter, speedboat, cars chase also a sophisticated visual on entire movie expecting increasing the offer, also they preserve the black mobster Bumpy Jonas (Moses Gun) and his mid bald colorful minion Willy (Drew Bundini Brown), either bringing the veteran Julius Harris to replace the friendly Charles Cioffi as N.Y. Chief of Police and for God's sake of course keeping the crafty director Gordon Parks.

The storyline is enough engaging when a good heart black mobster Cal Asby (Robert Kya-Hill) who died in an explosion at his funeral parlour & insurance company, previously planned by his partner Johnny Kelly (Wally Taylor) who was in trouble with an Italian Mobster Gus Mascola (Joseph Mascolo) due he owe 250.000 bucks for gambling, Cal Asby was about to buy Kelly's share, since he becomes a compulsive gambler, also Asby is regarded as a clean Mobster just exploiting the stakes he didn't allowed drugs or prostitution on Queens.

After his dead sudden Johnny Kelly takes over the business again, nonetheless Shaft's girlfriend is Asby's sister Arna Asby (Rosalind Miles) owns 50% of the partnership, Shafts intents preserved her share, however the infamous money subject of the strife disappears without a trace, meanwhile Kelly in dire straits playing a dangerous game selling his share for Bumpy Jonas and for Mascola, thus isn't sure a bright move for a loser gambler.

This sequel has many qualities, however aren't match to the original, moreover the soundtrack is fair good but caught in the same premise, the outcome at New York decommissioned shipyard is too contrived, sounds a Hollywoodian presentation, shallow and useless, added some turnaround, but the highlights stays at night club dancing scenes, fresh, and boldest sexy!!!

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First watch: 2021 / How many: 1 / Source: DVD / Rating: 7.5

Private Investigator "John Shaft" (Richard Roundtree) is back and this time he is trying to find the murderer of his friend who was running a numbers game in Queens. As it so happens the victim's partner "Johnny Kelly" (Wally Taylor) had gambled away $250,000 and a mob boss by the name of "Gus Mascola" (Joseph Mascolo) wants it back-along with a 50% share in Johnny Kelly's numbers racket. However, Johnny Kelly has other plans and decides to double cross Mascola by getting another mob boss from Harlem named "Bumpy Jonas" (Moses Gunn) involved in the same deal. Not only does he hope for a war between the two mob bosses but he also wants John Shaft killed in the process too. Now, rather than reveal any more of the movie I will just say that this was an adequate sequel to "Shaft". While it started off pretty well it got bogged down toward the end with an extremely long chase-and-gunfight scene which I thought actually detracted from the overall effect. In any case, although it wasn't bad necessarily it still wasn't nearly as good as the original. I rate it as average.

Just recently, I've been yearning for some quality blaxploitation, but have lucked out with my last couple of choices: TNT Jackson was a completely dreadful Coffy wannabe and The Black Cobra, starring Fred Williamson, wasn't even a proper blaxploitation (that'll teach me not to do my homework first). This time around, I was more careful with my selection: Shaft is the cool cat who never disappoints (just ask the long line of ladies he leaves in his wake!).

In this, his second adventure, the black private dick that's a sex machine to all the chicks (once again played by Richard Roundtree) becomes involved in a gang war after an old friend is blown to pieces by a bomb. As John Shaft sets about settling the score with the killers, he gets sexy with a few hot mamas, proves tasty with his fists, blows away some bad guys (resulting in some nice 'n' bloody gunshot wounds), uncovers a hidden stash of cash, drives a speedboat at high speed and shoots a helicopter out of the sky. It's not exactly groundbreaking stuff, but it is hugely entertaining, with great characters and winning performances all round, some impressively mounted action sequences (the bigger budget really shows), several pretty ladies jiggling their bits around, and that all important funky score.

(77%) Very likely to be the most backed blaxploitation movie of them all, as the original was such a big hit both critically and financially. Most of the blaxplotation boxes are ticked here, Shaft is super cool, the music is great, some of the lines are very funny, he gets the girls, the opening is great, the bad guys are mostly white gangsters with a lone black guy letting the side down, it's all there, but what this has that all others don't is the fantastic action-packed ending. As action sequences go this is one of the best I've ever seen, it just goes on and on and I loved every second of it and it looks as if the director Mr Parks was given free control to do what ever her wanted and he really went for it. This could very likely be may favourite of the breed as along with "Black Caesar", it's a fine example of what the series was capable of when everything slotted into place so well.