Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.5
Overall		3.5

Shaft Blu-ray Movie Review

It's my du-tay to review this Blu-ray.

Reviewed by Randy Miller III September 25, 2019

Tim Story's Shaft (2019) is the latest chapter in a long-running franchise, following 2000's Shaft starring Samuel L. Jackson and the original trilogy starring Richard Roundtree (which includes Gordon Parks' original Shaft, based on the 1970 detective novel Shaft by Ernest Tidyman). Confusing on paper, and even more confusing to outsiders...but this direct sequel to the 2000 film really just suffers from an uncreative title. Turns out that its central character, badass private dick John Shaft (Jackson), isn't so great with unique names either: his son John Shaft Jr. (Jessie T. Usher) has grown up with mom Maya (Regina Hall) and currently works as a data analyst for the FBI. When John Jr.'s recovering buddy Karim Hassan (Avan Jogia) is found dead of a heroin overdose, the young Shaft -- with the help of his long-time crush, nurse Sasha Arias (Alexandra Shipp) -- suspects foul play and reluctantly asks dear old Dad for help.

What follows is predictable stuff, especially for a sequel this far removed from the last entry. Much like the similarly good-but-not-great Creed and Creed II, Shaft exists solely to pass the torch to another generation through the use of personal drama and "generation gap" comedy that builds toward acceptance and change. It covers these bases well enough, adding another layer of depth by keeping Richard Roundtree on board for a satisfying third-act mission where three generations of Shaft bring heat to the man behind the curtain. There are a few speed bumps along the road, however: John Jr. (AKA "JJ") and his millennial shtick are dialed up to 11, while a second act revelation that he knows Capoeira is almost mind-numbingly stupid. In contrast, Shaft (the middle one) and his by-any-means work ethic is actually kept in check for the most part: overly sensitive types -- the ones that have no business watching earlier Shaft movies, and maybe this one-- will balk at his behavior, but it thankfully retains a certain amount of edge.

All things considered, though, I enjoyed a lot more about Shaft than expected. Jokes land regularly, the occasional action scenes are great and, as someone caught in the middle of both primary generations, it was easy to recognize the pros and cons of each side. All of the main and supporting good guys (and gals) are just about perfect in their roles, largely bringing a light touch that keeps things moving nicely from start to finish. Similarly, the film's appealing visual style -- courtesy of cinematographer Larry Blanford, who last worked on another surprisingly fun action/drama, 2018's Tag -- is mostly sleek and colorful, but isn't afraid to dial it back a few notches for more rough and rugged moments. These visuals are given a good amount of support on Warner Bros.' new Blu-ray, which serves up a rock-solid A/V presentation and a few decent extras that discuss "passing the torch" while paying tribute to what came before.

Shaft Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original 2.39:1 aspect ratio (rounded up slightly to 2.40:1 on the packaging), the digitally- shot Shaft was sourced from a 2K intermediate and looks fantastic on Blu-ray. This film is all over the place color-wise, bouncing around freely from the vivid yellow hues of an opening shoot-out to earth-toned urban locales and even a few lightly blue-tinted scenes. A late-night club visit is absolutely bathed in red light, while other moments are almost stripped of color entirely. Warner Bros.' excellent 1080p transfer handles everything like a champ, as Shaft does not suffer from any sort of bleed or blooming. Image detail remains strong throughout, especially in regards to skin, clothing, and other textures in close-up. Black levels are also excellent and do not suffer from any perceived levels of crush, nor do compression artifacts rear their ugly heads. Overall it's a very clean and crisp presentation that, due to its source material, is perfectly suited for Blu- ray. Apparently a 4K version is exclusive to Best Buy and, while I'm intrigued as to how much of an improvement it really offers (HDR?), chances are good that it's not a night-and-day upgrade.

Shaft Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

I don't know why I was surprised to see a full-blown Dolby Atmos mix on this disc, but I'm glad Shaft went the extra mile. This is a great-sounding track that packs quite a wallop -- the movie doesn't exactly serve up wall-to-wall action, but it makes use of discrete channel separation in less predictable ways. The outdoor city scenes shine brightest with a lot of subtle immersion, while soundtrack cues also get a lot of support deep in the background or right up front. Atmos height channels are not regularly used but clearly make their presence known at the right times, such as the violent opening shootout and later action sequences. A late-night club scene during the second act is especially impressive, showcasing a lot of depth and space that stand in nice contrast with more cramped interiors. Dialogue remains crisp and clear throughout, with no obvious sync issues. Overall, it's a rock-solid track that balances the mixture of clean and rugged settings exceptionally well...but as always, you're still in very good shape if you have more traditional A/V equipment: the Atmos mix automatically folds down to Dolby TrueHD 7.1, and that's hardly a sacrifice.

Optional English SDH, Spanish, and French subtitles are included during the main feature and all applicable extras (English and French only). These are formatted nicely and fit inside the 2.40:1 frame with no sync issues.

Shaft Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Shaft arrives on Blu-ray in a two-disc keepcase with a matching slipcover and Digital Copy code. The bonus features go into a bit more depth than expected, celebrating the franchise's legacy as much as the main feature itself.

• Can Ya Dig It? The Making of Shaft (10:36) - A lightweight but very enjoyable behind-the-scenes piece featuring comments from director Tim Story, writer Kenya Barris, all three Shafts (Richard Roundtree, Samuel L. Jackson, and Jessie T. Usher), and actress Regina Hall ("Maya") as they talk about the film's development, "passing the torch", adding in more comedy, shooting in Atlanta and New York, and the characters.

• A Complicated Man: The Shaft Legacy - This three-part mini-documentary includes "A Bad Mother Born" (15:41), "No Questions Asked" (14:34), and " A Legend of His Time" (13:57). It offers a broader look at the Shaft franchise and includes lots of input from Richard Roundtree, a few participants from the last featurette, and several new faces to boot. Plenty of highlight footage from the first three Shaft movies is sprinkled throughout (not the 2000 film, unfortunately, since it's owned by Paramount), while the interviews focus on the main character's origins, his iconic look and changing tone throughout the series, pop culture impact and audience response, Ernest Tidyman's original book, phallic movie posters, the short-lived TV show, and more.

• Deleted Scenes (2:54 total) include "Shaft Helps Drunk JJ Get Home", "JJ & Shaft Enter El Super Mercado Fantastico", "JJ & Shaft Leave El Super Mercado Fantastico With No Answers", "JJ Brings Vietti The Evidence", and "The Shafts Enter The Building" (sic). These short scenes look to be in finished form, at least visually -- the sound is unfortunately limited to Dolby Digital 2.0, but they're all dialogue-driven with very little music.

• Gag Reel (4:53) - Line flubs, character breaks, and other goofs paired with a few classic soundtrack cues.

Shaft Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Tim Story's Shaft, like its predecessors, offers a potent blend of action, drama, and mystery that goes down smooth. This installment ups the comedy in a big way, doubling (and even tripling) down on generation gap gags with mostly successful results. Bottom line: it's more entertaining and enjoyable than its tepid box office returns would have you believe -- so if you're on the fence about this once, it's definitely worth watching at least once. There's more than enough to satisfy fans of the original(s), while newcomers shouldn't have much trouble diving right in. Warner Bros.' solid Blu-ray package (4K sold separately) serves up a great A/V presentation and a handful of decent bonus features that cover this production and the franchise as a whole. Firmly recommended to old and new fans alike.