Related articles and links |  1 of 3

Meet Samuel L. Jackson, movie star. This weekend's release of Shaft confirmed what many have suspected since 1994's Pulp Fiction: Jackson can draw crowds. With $21.7 million in ticket sales, Shaft proved that audience interest in the charismatic actor extends beyond his typical ensemble movies like A Time to Kill and Rules of Engagement.

Christian critics spared no compliment to describe Jackson's allure. "The coolest actor in movies today can arguably be said to be Samuel L. Jackson," writes Michael Elliott of Crosswalk.com, while others prefer the adjectives "mesmerizing," "dynamic," and "magnetic." The enthusiasm for Shaft's plot, however, was minimal. Elliott continues: "All the attitude in the world can't disguise the fact that logically, the script is full of holes and the dialogue full of uncomfortable cliches." The film is an update/remake/rehash of the 1971 hit Shaft, which starred Richard Roundtree as a private detective and "sex machine," as the Oscar-winning theme song dubs him. Here, Roundtree passes the franchise's mantle to Jackson, who plays John Shaft's nephew: a New York cop who quits the corrupt police force to bring a wealthy white killer to justice. Tom Neven, editor of Focus on the Family magazine, sees the film as little more than exploitation of the brand name: "The first Shaft was part of an historical moment in America: it was a breakthrough action film with an African-American as the hero. … This new Shaft might be a slam-bang action film, but for young audiences, there is no historical context for why the Shaft character struck such a strong chord in 1971." Other gripes included Shaft's vigilantism—"the film is about little more than street justice," says the Dove Foundation—and villainized cops. "Both the police department and the justice system in this film are portrayed as generally corrupt institutions," writes Preview's John Adair, "influenced by racism and money." (Such charges are not uncommon among artists today; Bruce Springsteen has drawn the protests of New York City police with his new song "American Skin (41 Shots)," a tribute to West African immigrant Amadou Diallo, killed by police gunfire last year while reaching for his wallet.) At least one reviewer appreciated the changes that three decades have brought to Shaft: Holly McClure of Crosswalk.com "applaud[s] director John Singleton for choosing to tease the audience with a sexy opening (similar to a James Bond movie) and leaving all other sexual situations out of the plot."

The car-heist actioner Gone in 60 Seconds generated a bit of enthusiasm among Christian critics this week, as opposed to the tepid reviews it received initially. Christian Spotlight, which offers a fan's-eye view through its open-submission policy, lets guest reviewer Chan Pederson gush: "This remake is a grabber from the beginning and doesn't let go, contrary to what other reviewers may have said. … An all-star cast makes the film a joy to watch, and [it] has some of the best car chases on film." Movieguide, too, calls it "an entertaining summer movie," that even "manages to give some redemptive moral qualities to the hero and his quest." (I'll try to remember that next time I get carjacked.) Countering this ardor is a particularly loathing review from J. Robert Parks of The Phantom Tollbooth: "[It's] an action film with little action, a thriller with few thrills, and a roller coaster of a film that merely coasts. … It also has the virtues of being visually flaccid and morally bankrupt." Inept stunt sequences and "vomit-inducing" dialogue also rankle Parks. World magazine can't compete with that ire, but likewise dismisses the film as "a 1980s rock video" version of The Dukes of Hazzard.

next page... |  1 of 3

June (Web-only) 2000, Vol. 44