Shaft’s Big Score is probably my favorite Shaft film. Building almost immediately off the action of the first film, Shaft is caught in an emerging mob war. Multiple spots in the Ghetto are being used as criminal fronts, while competing mobs are growing more and more vicious. Who will save the day? Shaft.
Richard Roundtree gets to edge deeper into the detective phase of the Shaft mold. A large chunk of the film is Shaft on stakeouts and studying financial records. People forget that element of the film, yet praise Bruce Wayne doing minor ballistics in The Dark Knight. But, I digress.
What I love about the film is the finale. So much of the film is built up to what to do about this missing money. The cops want to recover it, the mob wants to steal it back and Shaft wants to reinvest it into the community. Even though the poster and cover art spoils the finale, it’s satisfying to see how terrible everyone can be over a little bit of cash.
The Warner Archive Blu-ray features no special features. However, you get the Gordon Parks’ score in true to form MONO 2.0 mix. Sure, it’s DTS-HD…but it’s the modern era! The transfer pops with a shine I didn’t see in the first film’s Blu-ray release.
That’s what it’s all about now. Warner Archive is cracking up the vaults and releasing the best Blaxploitation titles they own to Blu-ray. Let’s get the Cleopatra Jones sequel, The Mack and Let’s Do It Again into the HD era.
The time is now, Warner Archive. Give the people what they want! Also, how about a commentary? Roundtree is still alive! I want to hear what the once and future Shaft has to say about his films. Oh well, I can wait until 4K.
The Summer of Shaft continues with Shaft in Africa!
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