A good followup to the big breakout film of 1971, this has detective John Shaft (Richard Roundtree) determined to break up a violent numbers racket, and he's going up against the future Stefano DiMera ("Days of Our Lives"), Joseph Mascolo, playing an Italian mobster so the film will no doubt get its share of comparisons to "The Godfather" which came out the same year.
There's another theme song but not quite as memorable as the original. Mascolo isn't exactly Don Corleone however, just your local punk thug who's gotten some power, probably reporting to someone like Corleone given the fact of the way he lives and is around when the crimes happen rather than barking orders like Corleone or later Stefano would do.
The beautiful Rosalind Miles has an erotic love scene with Roundtree, but is basically in the background, and only Moses Gunn is back from the original, only briefly. The film is a lot more polished with a higher budget, but gone is the spontaneously fun pacing and clever raporte. Still it moves at a speedy pace, has its share of shootouts and chases, as well as the feeling that anything can happen at any moment. They rarely make good sequels so when they do, that's a good thing.
There's another theme song but not quite as memorable as the original. Mascolo isn't exactly Don Corleone however, just your local punk thug who's gotten some power, probably reporting to someone like Corleone given the fact of the way he lives and is around when the crimes happen rather than barking orders like Corleone or later Stefano would do.
The beautiful Rosalind Miles has an erotic love scene with Roundtree, but is basically in the background, and only Moses Gunn is back from the original, only briefly. The film is a lot more polished with a higher budget, but gone is the spontaneously fun pacing and clever raporte. Still it moves at a speedy pace, has its share of shootouts and chases, as well as the feeling that anything can happen at any moment. They rarely make good sequels so when they do, that's a good thing.