Shaft In Africa

By Morpheus • June 22, 2005

Starring: Richard Roundtree, Frank Finlay, Vonetta McGee

Director: John Guillermin

Writer(s): Stirling Silliphant

Studio: Warner Bros.

Rating: R

Official Bar Score:

Richard Roundtree makes his presence known once again as the rugged New York City Private Detective John Shaft in this third film in the Shaft Trilogy that would spawn a short-lived television series later this same year. Shaft is beaten, drugged and kidnapped by the henchmen of a wealthy African Aristocrat who has gotten wind of Shaft’s reputation and wants to hire him for an important job, and with a young hottie like the one chosen as his associate, how could a man say no? Shaft is sent undercover to Africa, posing as a native in order to infiltrate an African cartel that is sending black men to Europe in a form of modern day slavery. The goal of his assignment is to find out who the leaders of this ring are, and expose them and their operation to put an end to the exploitation of these poor African natives for the white man’s ruthless gain. And of course, get him some sweet lovin’ along the way, if you know what I’m sayin’.

This is a fine ass film, if I do say so myself, and was certainly one of my favorites in college. The flick had its campy moments, but Roundtree manages to pull out a stellar performance as the Black Private Dick that’s a Sex Machine to all the chicks once again. While the story to this one may not be in keeping with the original concept of Shaft as well as the other two films did, it was still a great plot, and there was plenty of action to boot. What gave this film its real edge though, were some of the one-liners and casual conversation scattered throughout, such as:
“Where did you learn stick fighting, Mr. Shaft?”
“Conducting the New York Philharmonic.”

“A cat named Shaft ain’t gonna be bad with a stick.”

“Brighten my day.” *The chick starts sucking the dude off.* (My fuckin’ hero.)

“How long is your phallus, Mr. Shaft?”
“My What?”
“Your cock.”
“Baby, by now it’s shrunk down to 20 inches.”

All around this was a very entertaining flick, and a must see for any fan of the blaxploitation genre. Chug those beers like a man and go check out this movie, ya dig? morpheus