Pat-Hingle Movie Reviews

WITH THE OUTPOURING OF POOR PICTURES FROM THE WEST COAST WE ARE FORCED AT TIMES TO TURN TO WHAT USUALLY IS SECOND RATE ENTERTAINMENT IN THE FORM OF 'MADE FOR T.V.' MOVIES.
FEW OF THEM ARE WORTH YOUR TIME. JUST WATCH THE 'LIFETIME' MOVIE CHANNEL FOR A FEW HOURS AND YOU WILL SEE WHAT I MEAN.

BUT EVERY NOW AND AGAIN ALONG COMES A CUT ABOVE. THIS ONE IS ONE OF THOSE FEW AND FAR BETWEEN TELEVISION EFFORTS THAT ACTUALLY ENTERTAINS NICELY.

WESTERN FANS ARE ALWAYS THRILLED TO SEE JIM ARNESS UP AND AROUND AND BACK TO RIGHTING WRONGS. FOR AN HOUR AND A HALF YOU CAN THRILL TO MATT DILLON, RETIRED U.S. MARSHAL TAKING OUT THE TRASH ONCE AGAIN.

DILLON IS TRYING HIS HAND AT CATTLE RANCHING AND WHEN HIS SMALL HERD IS RUSTLED HE IS BACK ON THE TRAIL OF THE BAD GUYS AND FINDS HIMSELF SMACK DAB IN THE MIDDLE OF A RANGE WAR.
ARNESS IS SUPPORTED WELL BY VETERAN ACTORS MORGAN WOODWARD AND PAT HINGLE. THIS FILM HAS A 'PAY ATTENTION' MOODY SOUNDTRACK THAT IS ABOVE AVERAGE FOR SMALL SCREEN PRODUCTIONS.

AND JUST LIKE THE OLD 'GUNSMOKE' SERIES, THE WRITING IS EXCELLENT. THE DIALOGUE IS SHARP AND EFFECTIVE.

THERE IS JUST SOMETHING SUPERIOR ABOUT THE DELIBERATE 'CAN DO' ATTITUDE OF MATT DILLON. HE NEVER HESITATES TO DO THE RIGHT THING. HE DOESNT HAVE TO MEDITATE ON IT OR REGRET IT AFTERWARDS.

HE IS A SLIGHTLY FLAWED BUT ALWAYS WHITE HAT GOOD GUY. THIS IS SOMETHING WE NEED IN THIS 'AGE OF THE WIMP' DOUBTFUL 21ST CENTURY.

AT LEAST ONE PART IN THIS SHOW WAS MISCAST. THE YOUNG UNDECIDED COW THIEF WHO TURNS OUT TO BE A DECENT HAND COULD HAVE BEEN A LOT BETTER PLAYED. THE ACTOR PLAYING THIS PART DOESNT MAKE THE GRADE. HIS PUT ON COWPOKE 'TWANG' IS SEE THROUGH AND THIS HURTS THE OVERALL CREDIBILITY OF THE PICTURE
JUST A TAD.

BUT OTHER THAN THAT-
'GUNSMOKE; TO THE LAST MAN' IS QUALITY ENTERTAINMENT. LONG LIVE MATT DILLON!!!

Have used this video in my English 2 classes. It follows the story line fairly close, but is a great video to use if showing differences and similarities between book and video. Does not follow the book as closly as the 1992 version.

We love Christmas movies but this was probably our biggest disappointment thus far. Expectations were high with the quality of the stars (Hepburn, Winkler) and the writer, but the quality scenes were just too few and far between. I suspect that people who liked the movie loved the book where the characters were presumably better developed and more likeable. Not having read the book, I found that I just didn't like the people on the screen and by the time they finally get into the spirit of Christmas, I just didn't care! Take a pass on this one.

From a truly wonderful bittersweet story by Truman Capote (as has been said) comes an adequate adaptation with an all-star cast. Katharine Hepburm seems to be the central character and even if her acting may seem full of mannerisms to some, by now that is neither here nor there. Julie Harris and Henry Winkler rise above many past ill-choices, and the whole cast superbly gives life to what may come through as a Christmas cliché but is just that extra bit more that has us glued to the screen.
On my part, kudos to Katharine, Swoozie and Julie!

I REALLY LOVE KATHARINE HEPBURN IN ANY MOVIE. THIS IS ONE WAS REALLY LIKE REAL LIFE TO SOME PEOPLE. IT SHOWED HOW LIFE REALLY IS AND HOW IT COULD BE. SHE IS GREAT ACTRESS!!

WELL WHERE DO I BEGIN? THIS MOVIE [is not good] HOW ABOUT THAT? - THE STORY WAS GOOD IDEA BUT THEY MADE THE FILM HORRIBLE- ONLY GOOD SCENE OUTA WHOLE FILM WAS WHEN THE SODA CANS FLEW AT THE KIDS- OH MAN THOSE TRUCKS WERE SO STUPID AND EMILIO ESTEVEZ AND HIS STUPID CREW - THEY HAD SOME OF THE UGLIEST CHICKS IVE EVER SEEN IN THIS MOVIE AND THEY HAD A DUMB REDNECK GANG OF DUDES- wow ive never seen more annoying characters in a movie than (( MAXIMUM OVERDRIVE))THIS TAKES THE CAKE. THIS IS ON SAME LEVEL AS (( PYTHON)). STEPHEN KING UR A GOOD DIRECTOR AND ACTOR BUT COME ON - this is nuts. OH BOY THESE CHARACTERS WERE BAD. THE TRUCKS WERE DUMB ALSO , and acting bad. i cant imagine anyone liking this film except for 13 yr olds and rednecks. big beer drinkin rednecks. trust me this movie is a waste of ur time. THE AC/DC WAS COOL AT FIRST THEN IT GOT ANNOYING jesus ive had enough ac/dc.enough hicks/etc.. thank god i said when movie ended THANK U VERY MUCH AND HAVE A NICE DAY

How could anyone in their right mind give this a review of anything less than 5 stars???Ok, ok...Maybe I'm a little biased being that I'm one of the biggest AC/DC fans in the whole world. But besides that, How could you have not loved this flick? First off... The box itself warns you on the cover A: Steven King flick and B: AC/DC does the entire soundtrack. So there, you've been warned... if you don't like either one of those, you had no business renting/buying/viewing the movie. The film itself differs from your typical King story(Not to mention it was written for the screen)... It was a simple concept yet, a fun concept: Virtually anything with a motor or electronic circuitry with the potential to maim and/or kill life on earth is brought to animation by a mysterious green glow sent out by alien life forms awaiting to take over the soon to be vacant planet!!! And so the story goes, 10-15 people are trapped in the Dixie Boy truck stop in either North or South Carolina (I forget which)with nothing but brains, beer and a small yet sufficient cache of weapons, including but not limited to: Machine guns, bazookas/rocket launchers and grenades!!! If they can hold out long enough against the army of diesel trucks that surrounds them, they just might make it out alive!!! Oh, and did I mention that AC/DC does the entire soundtrack?!?! Which,might I add, if you were to only own one AC/DC album, it should be "Who made who?" the Official soundtrack to this monster of a movie!! Personally, I can watch this movie anytime and it makes my day a whole lot better...of course, to each is own. Not to mention that I am kind of a redneck. Bottom line though,whether your a King fan,an AC/DC fan, or just a fan of Big trucks, rednecks, guns and beer with a whole lotta explosions... Buy this movie, you won't be dissapointed!!! Until then...Adios Amigos!..............thebluetape...

Anyone caught in the Blackout of 2003 must surely have thought of this movie. When the T.V. stopped working, the familiar drone of the fridge was eerily gone and trucks kept rumbling by on the unlit streets... all that was missing was the psychotic roar of a lawnmower springing to life and chasing you down the street!
I have two confessions to make.
1) I hate almost all Stephen King adaptions except two.
2) The two I like are Carrie and Maximum Overdrive.

Maximum Overdrive is a great film (hear me out before clicking on the "Unhelpful review" button!).
First of all, it is set in a situation that we can all relate to, everyday life in an urban environment, compare this with an empty hotel at the top of a mountain for example.
It preys on one of our biggest 21st Century fears, that we are no longer in control of our environment. Humankind has become so detached from the everyday rigours of surviving that our ancestors went through that we have no idea what we would do if our civilization broke down. No electricity, no fridge, no food, no machines, no information, no phones. Maximum Overdrive brings these fears to life, and then adds the horrific twist, that the machines then turn on their masters, although slightly after the Terminator franchise had started rolling. Surely this fear is easier to relate to than that the girl you bully at school may turn out to possess supernatural powers she can deploy for revenge purposes...
The movie also deals with alienation while in an urban environment. Like the group stuck in the mall in George Romero's "Dawn of the Dead", the people isolated in the truck stop are at once in a familiar environment, and at the same time stuck in a totally foreign world, making it easier for the viewer to relate, and amplifying the horror felt watching it.
The best bits of the film occur in the opening sequences, when the machines go crazy, decimating the world's humans. The middle section deals with the increasing tensions between the people caught in the truck seige and the final part deals with their escape and eventual triumph over the machines, culminating in Emilio Estevez's final, hilarious quote...
Maximum Overdrive is a fantastic modern horror movie, bringing terror to familiar situations, and Post-Blackout, I recommend you watch this movie again and allow yourself to think "What if..."

WELL WHERE DO I BEGIN? THIS MOVIE [is not good] HOW ABOUT THAT? - THE STORY WAS GOOD IDEA BUT THEY MADE THE FILM HORRIBLE- ONLY GOOD SCENE OUTA WHOLE FILM WAS WHEN THE SODA CANS FLEW AT THE KIDS- OH MAN THOSE TRUCKS WERE SO STUPID AND EMILIO ESTEVEZ AND HIS STUPID CREW - THEY HAD SOME OF THE UGLIEST CHICKS IVE EVER SEEN IN THIS MOVIE AND THEY HAD A DUMB REDNECK GANG OF DUDES- wow ive never seen more annoying characters in a movie than (( MAXIMUM OVERDRIVE))THIS TAKES THE CAKE. THIS IS ON SAME LEVEL AS (( PYTHON)). STEPHEN KING UR A GOOD DIRECTOR AND ACTOR BUT COME ON - this is nuts. OH BOY THESE CHARACTERS WERE BAD. THE TRUCKS WERE DUMB ALSO , and acting bad. i cant imagine anyone liking this film except for 13 yr olds and rednecks. big beer drinkin rednecks. trust me this movie is a waste of ur time. THE AC/DC WAS COOL AT FIRST THEN IT GOT ANNOYING jesus ive had enough ac/dc.enough hicks/etc.. thank god i said when movie ended THANK U VERY MUCH AND HAVE A NICE DAY

How could anyone in their right mind give this a review of anything less than 5 stars???Ok, ok...Maybe I'm a little biased being that I'm one of the biggest AC/DC fans in the whole world. But besides that, How could you have not loved this flick? First off... The box itself warns you on the cover A: Steven King flick and B: AC/DC does the entire soundtrack. So there, you've been warned... if you don't like either one of those, you had no business renting/buying/viewing the movie. The film itself differs from your typical King story(Not to mention it was written for the screen)... It was a simple concept yet, a fun concept: Virtually anything with a motor or electronic circuitry with the potential to maim and/or kill life on earth is brought to animation by a mysterious green glow sent out by alien life forms awaiting to take over the soon to be vacant planet!!! And so the story goes, 10-15 people are trapped in the Dixie Boy truck stop in either North or South Carolina (I forget which)with nothing but brains, beer and a small yet sufficient cache of weapons, including but not limited to: Machine guns, bazookas/rocket launchers and grenades!!! If they can hold out long enough against the army of diesel trucks that surrounds them, they just might make it out alive!!! Oh, and did I mention that AC/DC does the entire soundtrack?!?! Which,might I add, if you were to only own one AC/DC album, it should be "Who made who?" the Official soundtrack to this monster of a movie!! Personally, I can watch this movie anytime and it makes my day a whole lot better...of course, to each is own. Not to mention that I am kind of a redneck. Bottom line though,whether your a King fan,an AC/DC fan, or just a fan of Big trucks, rednecks, guns and beer with a whole lotta explosions... Buy this movie, you won't be dissapointed!!! Until then...Adios Amigos!..............thebluetape...

Anyone caught in the Blackout of 2003 must surely have thought of this movie. When the T.V. stopped working, the familiar drone of the fridge was eerily gone and trucks kept rumbling by on the unlit streets... all that was missing was the psychotic roar of a lawnmower springing to life and chasing you down the street!
I have two confessions to make.
1) I hate almost all Stephen King adaptions except two.
2) The two I like are Carrie and Maximum Overdrive.

Maximum Overdrive is a great film (hear me out before clicking on the "Unhelpful review" button!).
First of all, it is set in a situation that we can all relate to, everyday life in an urban environment, compare this with an empty hotel at the top of a mountain for example.
It preys on one of our biggest 21st Century fears, that we are no longer in control of our environment. Humankind has become so detached from the everyday rigours of surviving that our ancestors went through that we have no idea what we would do if our civilization broke down. No electricity, no fridge, no food, no machines, no information, no phones. Maximum Overdrive brings these fears to life, and then adds the horrific twist, that the machines then turn on their masters, although slightly after the Terminator franchise had started rolling. Surely this fear is easier to relate to than that the girl you bully at school may turn out to possess supernatural powers she can deploy for revenge purposes...
The movie also deals with alienation while in an urban environment. Like the group stuck in the mall in George Romero's "Dawn of the Dead", the people isolated in the truck stop are at once in a familiar environment, and at the same time stuck in a totally foreign world, making it easier for the viewer to relate, and amplifying the horror felt watching it.
The best bits of the film occur in the opening sequences, when the machines go crazy, decimating the world's humans. The middle section deals with the increasing tensions between the people caught in the truck seige and the final part deals with their escape and eventual triumph over the machines, culminating in Emilio Estevez's final, hilarious quote...
Maximum Overdrive is a fantastic modern horror movie, bringing terror to familiar situations, and Post-Blackout, I recommend you watch this movie again and allow yourself to think "What if..."

There are a lot of good Clint Eastwood movies out there, but this is not one of them. Instead, this is one of the weakest of his seventies crime drama movies, an ineptly written and generally boring movie.

Eastwood plays Shockley, a Phoenix cop assigned to extradite a prostitute from Las Vegas. As a bit of silliness right off the bat, it turns out that there is even a wager at the sports books that he will not make it back to Phoenix alive. From that point on, the dumbness continues, with Shockley blindly going from one trap to another, hardly piecing anything together without being led by the hand. On the other hand, all the other cops are equally dumb, willing to shoot first and ask questions later.

There are lots of bullets flying in this movie, but interestingly, Eastwood does not fire a single one at a person. Instead, he shoots doorknobs and motorcycles. Actually, Eastwood doesn't get more than a few punches in; those expecting Eastwood kicking butt will be sorely disappointed.

This movie is strictly for Eastwood fans only; all others should go elsewhere for a good crime movie.

This film gives a whole new meaning to the term "Treachery".
Clint Eastwood & Sondra Locke team in this cops against cops against the mob movie
Locke plays a supposedly "no nothing witness to a no nothing case"
Sure.until the bullets start to fly a little over 2 million dollars worth according to Malpaso, Eastwoods'production company if I have my fact straight about that.
Eastwood plays Ben Schokley a "drunken bum of a cop" for the Arizona PD who gets the dubious task of taking Gus (Locke) to trial.
The bets begin with 100-1 odds of them making alive to trial.
The two best scenes are when Gus's house gets about 11,349 bullet holes in it then collapses..almost on Eastwood's head. The other scene is the bus they hijack when Sondra Locke's character tells the passenger's on board to politely "HAUL [behind]"!!. This where they drive thru "The Gauntlet" heavily armed cops on both sides who promptly shoot about 17,209 bullets into the bus as it drives by them.
I won't go into the showdown on the steps but it's a cool ending
I'm giving this movie 5 stars because I'm a Clint eastwood fan

This review refers to the Warner Bros. DVD edition of "The Gauntlet"....

From the moment Ben Shockley(Clint Eastwood)steps out of his car and an empty booze bottle falls out, we know this is not the usual "Dirty Harry" character we'd been used to up to now. Ben is a cop who's chances for greatness seem to be fading with him.
Eastwood directs as well as stars in this film and we see his brillant directoral style taking hold here.

The Phoenix P.D. seem to be scraping the bottom of the barrel when they assign Shockley the job of escorting Gus Malley, a seemingly unimportant witness from Las Vegas back to Phoenix for a trial. Ben's been looking for his big break on a big case and it doesn't look like this will be it with this guy. Upon arriving in Las Vegas, Ben discovers that Gus is no guy. Gus Malley(Sondra Locke), is a local prostitute and unwilling partcipant in the journey back as well. This is not "a hooker with a heart story" though, this pro is as hard edged as they come, but she does have a brain!

The action starts as soon as they leave the jail. Someone is going to make sure that these two never make it to trial. Vegas is even giving odds against them. Everyone's after them..the mob, the cops, they even made the mistake of angering a group of bikers along the route and they're out for revenge as well. They hardly know who to trust, as they get shot at from all angles, cars blow up, they are set up and beat up. What Gus knows can cost them their lives, but Shockley is now determined to bring his prisoner in at all costs and rises to the occassion and must break through an impassable barrier set-up to keep him at bay.

It's edge of your seat drama, thrills, and fun, as Gus and Ben trade quips and get in a little romance(we couldn't expect any different with Eastwood and Locke)along the way.As usual Clint surrounds himself with the finest talent. Pat Hingle, William Prince, and Bill Mckinney turn in excellent performances as well as Eastwood and Locke. There's also a terrific jazzy score by Jerry Fielding.

The film made in 1977 looks great on this DVD transfer. It is in a widescreen on a dual layer format. The picture looks good. Clear and sharp with good color. There was occasionally a little purplish tint in places, but it didn't take away from the enjoyment of the film. The soundtrack remastered in the 5.1 Dolby Stereo was also good. The music sounded great and the dialouge always crisp. Not too much in the way of bonus material if that's what you're looking for, there's a filmography on Eastwood(his was the only one I was able to access) and a theatrical trailer. It may be viewed in French(Mono) and also has subtitles in English and French as well. You can bet on this one!

5 stars to a great Eastwood action film that can be watched again and again.

Get the Popcorn ready for this one and enjoy.....Laurie

There are a lot of good Clint Eastwood movies out there, but this is not one of them. Instead, this is one of the weakest of his seventies crime drama movies, an ineptly written and generally boring movie.

Eastwood plays Shockley, a Phoenix cop assigned to extradite a prostitute from Las Vegas. As a bit of silliness right off the bat, it turns out that there is even a wager at the sports books that he will not make it back to Phoenix alive. From that point on, the dumbness continues, with Shockley blindly going from one trap to another, hardly piecing anything together without being led by the hand. On the other hand, all the other cops are equally dumb, willing to shoot first and ask questions later.

There are lots of bullets flying in this movie, but interestingly, Eastwood does not fire a single one at a person. Instead, he shoots doorknobs and motorcycles. Actually, Eastwood doesn't get more than a few punches in; those expecting Eastwood kicking butt will be sorely disappointed.

This movie is strictly for Eastwood fans only; all others should go elsewhere for a good crime movie.

At this point in his career, Clint Eastwood was one of the biggest stars in Hollywood. With his own production company (Malpaso), Eastwood had firm control over the projects he became involved with. His choice as a follow up to The Enforcer, the third Dirty Harry film, was The Gauntlet. This cartoonish adventure, directed by Eastwood, features a poorly written story, huge doses of excessive violence, and bad dialog with liberal doses of profanity. It is another opportunity for Clint to operate against overpowering odds, and team with then girl friend, Sondra Locke, for the first of several films in which they would star together.

Once again Clint is a cop. Ben Shockley, one of Phoenix's finest, is assigned to bring back a prisoner being held in a Las Vegas jail, to testify. Sondra Locke is the prisoner, her character Gus Mally is a prostitute, who happened to have as a client, a certain high police official with usual sexual preferences. This apparently, is sufficient reason to want her dead.

The story is a simple double cross, as forces behind the scenes manipulate various agencies of law enforcement, to turn against Shockley and his tough-talking prisoner, to prevent her from testifying. The pair is forced to make their way from Nevada back to Phoenix via a circuitous route, evading the forces of the law and other dangers.

Excessive gunfire is the featured event several times. The first time, enthusiastic Vegas cops destroy a house, while Shockley and Mally barely scurry to safety in a most implausible manner. Then a police car is thoroughly ventilated. The final and most outrageous example is the film's finale, in which Shockley drives a tour bus through a "gauntlet" of police, lined up on both sides of the street. The film's ending is an unbelievable, extended exercise in gratuitous excess. Shots are fired at close range, and the crowd of police officers behave like zombies. Violence just for violence sake can have a purpose, but this is pretty dreadful. Calling this bad writing, is a gross understatement.

Throw logic totally out the window, go along for the ride, and you can still be entertained. Although the plotting is spotty, and the dialog unpolished, there are some decent action scenes, particularly when Shockley takes to a motorcycle, and is chased by a chopper. Clint's quiet macho swagger, contrasts with the free spirited, and spunky Locke. Their relationship, both on and off screen, is really at the heart of this movie. Romance, Eastwood style, has its rough edges, and is at times almost painfully awkward. Warts and all, this film was done per Eastwood's specifications.

Though part of the "Clint Eastwood Collection", the DVD offers only a trailer as an extra. From here, the collaboration with Sondra Locke would continue for several more films, as Eastwood's career took a turn. The Gauntlet, Clint's last true action film in the 70's, is far from his best work, and is best suited to his true fans, and those who appreciate excessive gunfire

This review refers to the Warner Bros. DVD edition of "The Gauntlet"....

From the moment Ben Shockley(Clint Eastwood)steps out of his car and an empty booze bottle falls out, we know this is not the usual "Dirty Harry" character we'd been used to up to now. Ben is a cop who's chances for greatness seem to be fading with him.
Eastwood directs as well as stars in this film and we see his brillant directoral style taking hold here.

The Phoenix P.D. seem to be scraping the bottom of the barrel when they assign Shockley the job of escorting Gus Malley, a seemingly unimportant witness from Las Vegas back to Phoenix for a trial. Ben's been looking for his big break on a big case and it doesn't look like this will be it with this guy. Upon arriving in Las Vegas, Ben discovers that Gus is no guy. Gus Malley(Sondra Locke), is a local prostitute and unwilling partcipant in the journey back as well. This is not "a hooker with a heart story" though, this pro is as hard edged as they come, but she does have a brain!

The action starts as soon as they leave the jail. Someone is going to make sure that these two never make it to trial. Vegas is even giving odds against them. Everyone's after them..the mob, the cops, they even made the mistake of angering a group of bikers along the route and they're out for revenge as well. They hardly know who to trust, as they get shot at from all angles, cars blow up, they are set up and beat up. What Gus knows can cost them their lives, but Shockley is now determined to bring his prisoner in at all costs and rises to the occassion and must break through an impassable barrier set-up to keep him at bay.

It's edge of your seat drama, thrills, and fun, as Gus and Ben trade quips and get in a little romance(we couldn't expect any different with Eastwood and Locke)along the way.As usual Clint surrounds himself with the finest talent. Pat Hingle, William Prince, and Bill Mckinney turn in excellent performances as well as Eastwood and Locke. There's also a terrific jazzy score by Jerry Fielding.

The film made in 1977 looks great on this DVD transfer. It is in a widescreen on a dual layer format. The picture looks good. Clear and sharp with good color. There was occasionally a little purplish tint in places, but it didn't take away from the enjoyment of the film. The soundtrack remastered in the 5.1 Dolby Stereo was also good. The music sounded great and the dialouge always crisp. Not too much in the way of bonus material if that's what you're looking for, there's a filmography on Eastwood(his was the only one I was able to access) and a theatrical trailer. It may be viewed in French(Mono) and also has subtitles in English and French as well. You can bet on this one!

5 stars to a great Eastwood action film that can be watched again and again.

Get the Popcorn ready for this one and enjoy.....Laurie

Thirty years is a long time to wait to make a sequel, especially when no one is clamoring for one. Director/Writer/Producer John Singleton decided it was about time. The result is a solid, but undistinguished crime drama. The elements of this story have been told so many times that they are becoming hackneyed. A tough, no-nonsense cop fights evil and corruption to bring justice to the streets while often disregarding the law. A spoiled rich kid is trying to get away with murder by hiring a drug dealer to snuff an eyewitness with the help of a couple of dirty cops. This is not vanguard material.

Singleton's direction is good in the action sequences (of which there are plenty) and adequate in the dramatic scenes. In this film, he doesn't bring much innovation to the screen, with very straightforward shots and mundane locations. In an overly reverent gesture to the original film, he brings back Richard Roundtree (the original Shaft) as the current Shaft's (Samuel L. Jackson) uncle and mentor. There is also a cameo appearance by Gordon Parks, the director of the original, and of course, Isaac Hayes theme song is back.

The film is elevated from mediocrity by the acting. Samuel L. Jackson is an outstanding actor and slips on the character of this tough, streetwise cop like a tailored glove. When he's bad, he's very very bad and when he is good, he's almost saintly. Christian Bale also gives a fine performance as the despicable rich kid who thinks his wealth puts him above the law. Jeffrey Wright is explosive as the egomaniac drug lord. The supporting actors are also excellent.

This is an entertaining film despite its lack of originality. I rated it a 7/10. Action junkies add a point or two. This film is extremely violent with a high body count.

Samuel L Jackson is fabulous in this as John Shaft a tough, cynical NYPD detective who resigns in anger and takes justice into his own hands.
Some have criticised the plot for being obvious but I find that there are some unexpected twists that keep the story interesting. The dialogue is solid and the screenplay is very well written. The hard-ass banter between cops and bad guys is deliverd almost universally in a very natural style and really captures the feel of NYC.
Jeffrey Wright is just amazing as Peoples Hernandez and next to Jackson delivers some of the best lines in the movie. His performance alone makes this film worth checking out. Christian Bales is the other bad-guy. He plays the son of a Donald Tump-like real estate developer who commits a racist murder and then uses his money and influence to avoid being brought to justice.
Bales is very good in this role and his scenes with Jeffrey Wright are some of the best in the film.
Buster Rhymes plays Shaft's friend and driver and is also very good.
The action sequences are well done but what makes this film is the dialogue and the trading of insults, etc. between a variety of characters that are New York stereotypes. And while they may be stereotypes they still deliver some really memorable lines.
I've watched this numerous times and know much of it by heart but that doesn't prevent me from continuing to enjoy it.

a great remake with Jackson being the man Shaft. good action with some unexpected turnabouts. Christian Bale is menacing as the racist who kills Mehki Phifer then has to answer to Shaft and Jeffrey Wright is a spectacular badguy as well. a good ride

Thirty years is a long time to wait to make a sequel, especially when no one is clamoring for one. Director/Writer/Producer John Singleton decided it was about time. The result is a solid, but undistinguished crime drama. The elements of this story have been told so many times that they are becoming hackneyed. A tough, no-nonsense cop fights evil and corruption to bring justice to the streets while often disregarding the law. A spoiled rich kid is trying to get away with murder by hiring a drug dealer to snuff an eyewitness with the help of a couple of dirty cops. This is not vanguard material.

Singleton's direction is good in the action sequences (of which there are plenty) and adequate in the dramatic scenes. In this film, he doesn't bring much innovation to the screen, with very straightforward shots and mundane locations. In an overly reverent gesture to the original film, he brings back Richard Roundtree (the original Shaft) as the current Shaft's (Samuel L. Jackson) uncle and mentor. There is also a cameo appearance by Gordon Parks, the director of the original, and of course, Isaac Hayes theme song is back.

The film is elevated from mediocrity by the acting. Samuel L. Jackson is an outstanding actor and slips on the character of this tough, streetwise cop like a tailored glove. When he's bad, he's very very bad and when he is good, he's almost saintly. Christian Bale also gives a fine performance as the despicable rich kid who thinks his wealth puts him above the law. Jeffrey Wright is explosive as the egomaniac drug lord. The supporting actors are also excellent.

This is an entertaining film despite its lack of originality. I rated it a 7/10. Action junkies add a point or two. This film is extremely violent with a high body count.

Samuel L Jackson is fabulous in this as John Shaft a tough, cynical NYPD detective who resigns in anger and takes justice into his own hands.
Some have criticised the plot for being obvious but I find that there are some unexpected twists that keep the story interesting. The dialogue is solid and the screenplay is very well written. The hard-ass banter between cops and bad guys is deliverd almost universally in a very natural style and really captures the feel of NYC.
Jeffrey Wright is just amazing as Peoples Hernandez and next to Jackson delivers some of the best lines in the movie. His performance alone makes this film worth checking out. Christian Bales is the other bad-guy. He plays the son of a Donald Tump-like real estate developer who commits a racist murder and then uses his money and influence to avoid being brought to justice.
Bales is very good in this role and his scenes with Jeffrey Wright are some of the best in the film.
Buster Rhymes plays Shaft's friend and driver and is also very good.
The action sequences are well done but what makes this film is the dialogue and the trading of insults, etc. between a variety of characters that are New York stereotypes. And while they may be stereotypes they still deliver some really memorable lines.
I've watched this numerous times and know much of it by heart but that doesn't prevent me from continuing to enjoy it.

a great remake with Jackson being the man Shaft. good action with some unexpected turnabouts. Christian Bale is menacing as the racist who kills Mehki Phifer then has to answer to Shaft and Jeffrey Wright is a spectacular badguy as well. a good ride

a great remake with Jackson being the man Shaft. good action with some unexpected turnabouts. Christian Bale is menacing as the racist who kills Mehki Phifer then has to answer to Shaft and Jeffrey Wright is a spectacular badguy as well. a good ride

Samuel L Jackson is fabulous in this as John Shaft a tough, cynical NYPD detective who resigns in anger and takes justice into his own hands.
Some have criticised the plot for being obvious but I find that there are some unexpected twists that keep the story interesting. The dialogue is solid and the screenplay is very well written. The hard-ass banter between cops and bad guys is deliverd almost universally in a very natural style and really captures the feel of NYC.
Jeffrey Wright is just amazing as Peoples Hernandez and next to Jackson delivers some of the best lines in the movie. His performance alone makes this film worth checking out. Christian Bales is the other bad-guy. He plays the son of a Donald Tump-like real estate developer who commits a racist murder and then uses his money and influence to avoid being brought to justice.
Bales is very good in this role and his scenes with Jeffrey Wright are some of the best in the film.
Buster Rhymes plays Shaft's friend and driver and is also very good.
The action sequences are well done but what makes this film is the dialogue and the trading of insults, etc. between a variety of characters that are New York stereotypes. And while they may be stereotypes they still deliver some really memorable lines.
I've watched this numerous times and know much of it by heart but that doesn't prevent me from continuing to enjoy it.

Lightweight storywise--but no more so than a modern James Bond movie--"Shaft" is nonetheless stylish and entertaining, even with some scenes of terrible violence. Samuel L. Jackson makes a worthy successor to the family legacy of being supercool, playing the same sort of urban 007 Richard Roundtree brought to life in the Shaft films of the 1970s. This time, the nephew of the original clashes with a brutal racist and a showoff drug kingpin who have joined forces to stalk the only witness to a savage murder. Director John Singleton keeps the energy constant, helped in part by Isaac Hayes' terrific theme and David Arnold's incidental music, though the occasional quick zoom gets annoying after a while. Taken as entertainment with a little social commentary, "Shaft" offers little to dislike, except, perhaps, the brief appearance by Roundtree, who also seems more mellow and unhip this time around.