Shut your mouth! ‘Shaft’ brings the cool factor for a solid dose of old-school fun

Posted on June 21, 2019

By MARK VIOLA

I have to admit I’m not terribly familiar with the “Shaft” films, although, of course, I know the music and the character from his four-plus decades of pop culture relevance. But, I have never seen the original movies from the 70s starring Richard Roundtree nor the 2000 soft reboot featuring Samuel L. Jackson as the nephew of the first Shaft.

Still, I found myself intrigued by the trailers for the latest “Shaft,” which not only introduces a third generation into the mix with Jesse T. Usher (“Independence Day: Resurgence”) as the estranged son of the younger Shaft, but also injects a significant amount of humor as well.

The resulting father-son tale is filled with lots of action, cross-generational tension and a healthy dose of the cool factor. Simply put, “Shaft” is a fun, if vulgar, summer popcorn flick.

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