Plot: What’s it about?
The adventures of John Shaft are so well known that even in distant lands the people know just how bad this man is. But he doesn’t let his fame go to his head and he just lives his life from one day to the next. Soon however his life will take a change he won’t soon forget, one that will push him to the limits of his badness. After he prevented some hoodlums from swiping his hubcaps, Shaft heads home to relax from his jogging episode. When a strange man is waiting for him in the elevator Shaft is cautious and manages to lose him, after which Shaft heads on up to his apartment. But the bad man comes back and soon Shaft is drugged and left buck naked in a strange location. But he passes the tests his kidnappers create for him and he learns of his reason for being present. Some men offer Shaft some serious cheddar and a beautiful woman if he will infiltrate a slave ring in Africa, but if he refuses they will kill him on the spot. Since Shaft knows the score he agrees and heads off to Africa to romance the ladies, lay the smack down on the bad guys, and end this brutal slave ring.
So we all know Shaft is the man when it comes to New York, but could this bad mother (shut yo’ mouth) handle himself in a foreign land? Well I think we all know the answer to that question, as Shaft is the man no matter where he travels to and that’s a fact. He might be buck naked and disoriented but that’s no thing, he’ll still kick your ass and make you thank him for doing it. This is the final installment in the Shaft saga and it is a worthy close to be sure, loaded with all the elements we expect plus some new twists to keep it fresh. I think fans of the first two movies will find themselves right at home with this volume as it has all the goodies we expect, such as Shaft kicking some ass, Shaft rolling off memorable dialogue, and Shaft just being smooth as silk with the ladies. Richard Roundtree shines in this third film and manages to keep his character true to the roots while expanding upon it, due to his new surroundings. Warner has done us all a favor by releasing the three Shaft movies in terrific transfers, which is more than enough to warrant a recommendation in my book. I recommend this release as a rental to first timers and die-hard fans of this series will want to add it to their collections as soon as possible.
This film was directed by John Guillerman, who has an extensive resume of popular movies though this one stands as my favorite of his works. This is the final Shaft adventure and the only one not directed by Gordon Parks, but Guillerman makes sure to keep the essence of the series intact which is crucial. Guillerman has a challenge in terms of location since the Shaft character is a New York based one, but he makes sure good old Shaft seems right at home in the motherland. The visual style used harkens back to the first two movies which is good, but Guillerman also injects some of his own touches on the film. I feel Guillerman was the perfect choice to close out the Shaft series and he did a fantastic and consistent turn. If you want more of Guillerman’s movies I recommend The Bridge At Remagen, El Condor, and The Towering Inferno. The lead in this film is Richard Roundtree and he is the only man who can play this role, regardless of what Samuel L. Jackson and that hack Robert Singleton might tell you. Roundtree is as bad as ever in this final chapter and he has all the elements he needs to carry this one through. The supporting cast includes Frank Finlay (Stiff Upper Lips), Vonetta McGee (Repo Man), Willie Jonah (Being Human), and Frank McRae (Last Action Hero, Lightning Jack).
Video: How does it look?
Shaft In Africa is presented in a 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer, with a full frame version included on the disc’s flip side. This is about as good as you could ever hope for this movie to look, which is more than enough for me. I was pleased to find a clean source print used and a nearly flawless compression displayed, way to go Warner! The colors appear a tad muted but on the whole are bright, while flesh tones look natural and consistent. The contrast is right on the money with complex shadows and no visible detail loss.
Audio: How does it sound?
This release contains the original mono track which provides an adequate audio experience. I do wish a surround track were created for this release, if for no other reason than to hear the soundtrack in a glorious mix. But enough about me, let’s talk about this audio track. The music sounds very good and shows no signs of age and the effects come through without overpowering the other audio elements in the least. The dialogue is clear at all times and I never had to fiddle with the remote to find a solid volume. This release also contains a French mono track and closed captioning.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This release contains theatrical trailers for all three of the Shaft films, plus a brief talent files.
