First Shaft trailer brings all three generations together for the action

February 7th 2019, 8:28am

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

Who’s the man with a new movie that just got a badass new trailer? Shaft! You’re damn right.

Oh yes, ladies and gentlemen, the very first trailer for the new SHAFT movie is here to get you in the mood and blow you away. Returning to the role of John Shaft II is Samuel L. Jackson, but joining him are two more generations in the Shaft line – Jessie T. Usher as his son, John Shaft Jr., and the original Shaft Richard Roundtree making a welcome return. The first trailer teases all the slick, inter-generational mishaps, filled with a lot of smooth-talking and gun-firing.

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The movie from Tim Story (RIDE ALONG) seems to be taking on a strong action-comedy vibe, and with all three Shafts on screen, it works pretty well. Jackson in particular looks right back at home in the role he last played in the 2000 movie SHAFT from John Singleton, and of course Roundtree hasn’t missed a step. My hope is that the movie doesn’t squander the talented cast on some cheap jokes and stale action, but instead makes the best use of all three for a fun, slick action flick that embraces its roots while bringing the characters into the modern age. But, in the end, I'll even settle for just a fun movie.

Here’s the synopsis:

JJ, aka John Shaft Jr. (Usher), may be a cyber security expert with a degree from MIT, but to uncover the truth behind his best friend’s untimely death, he needs an education only his dad can provide. Absent throughout JJ’s youth, the legendary locked-and-loaded John Shaft (Jackson) agrees to help his progeny navigate Harlem’s heroin-infested underbelly. And while JJ’s own FBI analyst’s badge may clash with his dad’s trademark leather duster, there’s no denying family. Besides, Shaft’s got an agenda of his own, and a score to settle that’s professional and personal.

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SHAFT is in theaters June 14.