Richard Roundtree was great and Shaft as a character was absolutely amazing, everything else from the plot which was thin and performances by the supporting cast was a bit iffy. The pacing was also pretty slow and despite only being 100 minutes, felt a bit longer. Still, a good opening into the franchise. **3.5/5**
Top Cast
Richard Roundtree
John Shaft
Moses Gunn
Bumpy Jonas
Charles Cioffi
Vic Androzzi
Christopher St. John
Ben Buford
Gwenn Mitchell
Ellie Moore
Lawrence Pressman
Sergeant Tom Hannon
Victor Arnold
Charlie
Sherri Brewer
Marcy
Rex Robbins
Rollie
Camille Yarbrough
Dina Greene
Margaret Warncke
Linda
Joseph Leon
Byron Leibowitz
Arnold Johnson
Cul
Dominic Barto
Patsy
George Strus
Carmen
Edmund Hashim
Lee
Reviews
Richard Rowntree exudes loads of charisma here as he takes on the role of the shrewd Harlem private investigator “Shaft” who finds himself embroiled in some fairly brutal New York politics. He’s drafted in by local gangster “Bumpy” (Moses Gunn) when this man’s daughter is kidnapped. He doesn’t know by whom or why - there are no ransom demands nor many breadcrumbs to follow, but there are plenty of suspects.…
FAQ about Shaft
What is Shaft about?
Cool Black private eye John Shaft is hired by a crime lord to find and retrieve his kidnapped daughter.
When was Shaft released?
Shaft was released in 1971.
What genres does Shaft belong to?
Shaft is categorised as Crime, Thriller, Drama, Action.
Who stars in Shaft?
The cast of Shaft includes Richard Roundtree, Moses Gunn, Charles Cioffi, Christopher St. John, Gwenn Mitchell.