SHAFT

Year: 2000
USA: Paramount Pictures
UK: UIP (UK)
Cast: Samuel L Jackson, Vanessa Williams, Jeffrey Wright, Christian Bale, Busta Rhymes, Dan Hedaya, Toni Collette, Richard Roundtree, Ruben Santiago-Hudson, Josef Sommer, Lynne Thigpen, Philip Bosco, Pat Hingle, Jennifer Esposito, Lee Tergesen, Daniel von Bargen, Francisco 'Coqui' Taveras, Sonja Sohn, Peter McRobbie, Zach Grenier, Richard Cocchiaro, Ron Castellano, Freddie Ricks, Sixto Ramos, Andre Royo, Richard Barboza, Mekhi Phifer, Gano Grills, Catherine Kellner, Philip Rudolph, Angela Pietropinto, Joe Quintero, Lanette Ware, Stu 'Large' Riley, Mark Zeisler, Capital Jay, Bonz Malone, Henry G Thomas, Brian Oswald Talbot, Preston Thomas, Marshall T Broughton, Ann Ducati, Lisa Cooley, Elizabeth Maresal Mitchell, Scott Lucy, Christopher Orr, Evan Farmer, Will Chase, Jeff Branson, Jerome Preston Bates, John Elsen, Nadine Mozon, Lawrence Taylor, Caprice Benedetti, John Cunningham, Louie Leonardo, Tony Rhune, Fidel Vicioso, F Valentino Morales, Myron Primes, Universal, Travis Brandon Rosa, Matthew Wallace, Luis Torres, John Wojda, Ahmed Al-Khan, Amer Al-Khan, Rashid Feleyfel, Gordon Parks, Riley G, Marc Giamo, Isaac Hayes, Dorian Missick, Stacy Sarter, John Singleton
Director: John Singleton
Country: USA
USA: 98 mins
UK: 99 mins
USA Rated: R for strong violence and language
UK Certificate: 18 for strong violence and coarse language
USA Release Date: 16 June 2000
UK Release Date: 15 September 2000


Synopsis

Set in New York City, spoiled college kid Walter Wade (Christian Bale) kills a young black student, and John Shaft (Samuel L Jackson) makes the arrest. Walter skips bail and flees the country, and after two years of waiting, Shaft hauls him back into custody as Walter secretly returns to the States. But when Walter?s wealthy father posts bail once again, Walter is back out on the streets and looking to put Shaft in a body bag. So are two of Shaft?s corrupt colleagues (Dan Hedaya and Ruben Santiago-Hudson) as well as a Dominican drug lord (Jeffrey Wright) who wants revenge on Shaft for humiliating him in the neighborhood he rules.

For backup, Shaft has only his two closest pals: Carmen (Vanessa L Williams), a colleague on the police force; and his streetwise confidant, Rasaan (Busta Rhymes). Meanwhile, Shaft has got to track down the one murder witness (Toni Collette) who can put all of his enemies away for good even as the toughest killers in the city close in on him.

With Samuel L Jackson in the starring role and John Singleton directing, SHAFT is a new approach to one of the great film icons of the 1970s. He?s tough, he?s smart, he?s cool ? just what you?d expect from a man whose uncle and mentor is John Shaft, who, now as then, is played by Richard Roundtree. Also starring in the Paramount Pictures presentation are Vanessa Williams, Jeffrey Wright, Christian Bale, Dan Hedaya, Busta Rhymes and Toni Collette.