O Grande Golpe de Shaft

The second outing concerns about Shaft , the African-American independent eye-private . This time confronts sinister mobsters , battling black (again Bumpy, Moses Gunn) and white (Mascolo , Joe Santos) gangs . Fiercy Shaft finds a dead friend , a brother his sweet-girl , he ran under legitimate business , a funeral home and all types of insurances , however he hid stakes issues in Queens . Two-fisted Shaft in order to avenge his friend , vows revenge and investigates the deeds . Meanwhile , a police captain (Julius Harris) suspects on Shaft . Extremely tough Shaft spontaneously encounters himself in the middle of a bands war and running afoul of the underworld .

This one features thrills , hair-raising suspense , raw energy , nudism, adult subject matter and lots of violence . Plenty of intrigue, kinky sex and noisy action ; Shaft keeps things moving along , until final fight on a pier with a breathtaking pursuit by helicopter . Violent , tough screenplay by Stirling Shilliphant based on characters created by Ernest Tidyman . Great and enjoyable musical score by the same director Gordon Parks in Isaac Hayes style , recently deceased. Hayes's theme song stills resonates today .

Followed by superior third part 'Shaft in Africa (John Guillermin)' with Vonetta McGee and Frank Finlay ; besides contemporary and revisionist version by John Singleton (2000) with Samuel L. Jackson and as secondary Richard Roundtree as Shaft's uncle . Furthermore , seven television episodes (1973 , 74 years) starred by Roundtree . The Shaft series turned out to be one the best black films from the early 70s.

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

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.

This is the proper sequel to Shaft and one that is worthy of his name. He is again the cool and calm brother that doesn't let anything bother him. He even gets worked over good by the baddies.

Moses Gunn is back as Bumpy, a Blofeld character, and antagonist extraordinaire. And, of course, it's the old song about the Mafia horning in on Black turf that makes Shaft interesting - playing against both sides; black and white.

Rosalind Miles is here to keep Shaft interested at home, but you know he will stray, so there is Kathy Imrie to bump into and bed.

The ending with it's car chase and helicopter and machine guns is pure Bond, and Shaft outdoes Bond with a satchel full of loot to take home.

Pure fun!

I'm not sure what went wrong with this sequel to 'Shaft'. Once again Gordon Parks directs, Ernest Tidyman writes and Richard Roundtree stars, but there's something missing. It isn't anywhere near as entertaining as the original and the story is very thin and padded out. The score isn't as good either. Isaac Hayes only contributes one number, Parks himself does the rest. Moses Gunn and Drew Bundini Brown reprise their roles as Bumpy and Willy and blaxploitation fave Julius W. Harris ('Superfly', 'Black Caesar') appears as a cop who forms an uneasy alliance of sorts with Shaft. Also check out future soap star Joseph Mascolo as a clarinet playing mobster called, er, Mascolo and Joe Santos later of 'The Rockford Files' as his right hand man. Richard Roundtree is still super cool as John Shaft and he helps make this movie to be fairly enjoyable. Personally I prefer the third in the series 'Shaft In Africa' to this, but if the truth be told neither sequel is a patch on the original which in an undisputed blaxploitation classic and essential viewing for any 70s buff.