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Richard Roundtree, Frank Finlay, Vonetta McGee, Neda Arneric, Debebe Eshetu ... see more see more... , Spiros Focás , Thomas Baptiste , Jon Chevron , Glynn Edwards , Cy Grant , Jacques Herlin , Jho Jhenkins , White Jonah , Adolfo Lastretti , Marne Maitland , Jacques Marin , Frank McRae , Aldo Sambrell , Nadim Sawalha , James E. Myers

In the third and last in the original Shaft (1971) series of action-packed "blaxploitation" pictures, private eye John Shaft (Richard Roundtree) travels to the "motherland," where he breaks up a moder... read more read more...n slavery ring. Shaft is hired by a diplomat, Emir Ramila (Cy Grant), to infiltrate the criminal empire of the evil Vincent Amafi (Frank Finlay), who is kidnapping poor Africans and shipping them to Europe as slave laborers. Amafi murdered Ramila's son when he attempted to expose the illegal operation, and Ramila, now aware that his investigation of Amafi has been compromised, needs an unfamiliar to face to help bring the ring leader down. After undergoing some training at the hands of a comely tutor so that he'll be able to pass muster as an African, Shaft travels to Ethiopia and allows himself to be shanghaied by Amafi's men. However, the high-ranking Wassa (Debebe Eshetu) is the traitor in Ramila's ranks, and he has betrayed Shaft. As the tough private eye attempts to free the slaves being held captive in a former Nazi prison below a French chateau and bed any beautiful women who crosses his path, he must also dodge a series of assassination attempts by Ramila's men. ~ Karl Williams, Rovi

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49% liked it

3,097 ratings

Critics

43% liked it

7 critics

R, 1 hr. 52 min.

Directed by: John Guillermin

Release Date: June 14, 1973

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DVD Release Date: June 6, 2000

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Stats: 125 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (125)

  • cosmo313
    December 18, 2010
    cosmo313
    The budget for the third and final Shaft film was even larger than before. As a result, a white director was brought in to handle things. That director was John Guillermin, the man responsible for the 1970s King Kong film. That was a disaster. This however, despite being a mixed ... read morebag, is halfway decent (all things considered).

    The plot concerns Shaft going to Africa to infiltrate a modern day slave cartel. It's an interesting idea filled with some good subtext and social issues. However (and this may or many not have to do with Guillermin being white), the film also comes across as rather pandering, racist, and offensive at times. The characters are caricatures and this film exemplifies the term "exploitation" in more ways than one.

    Taken as a genre film though, it's not too bad. As a regular movie, well, then we have problems. There's lots of good action scenes, and this is by far the most violent of the trilogy. The camera work is good, and so is the music. There's no sign of Isaac Hayes, but the theme song by the Four Tops rocks. It was later used in a brief segue scene in Superbad (when the guys travel across town on the bus to the liquor store).

    This film had the potential to be excellent both as a genre film, and as a movie with important themes and messages. It comes up short in both areas, but is still really damn fun and entertaining.
  • matertenebraum
    October 17, 2009
    matertenebraum
    The ever-cool Richard Roundtree, who along with the equally awesome John Saxon has played more cops than any other actor alive, makes his third appearance as John Shaft, the super-tough, super-smooth, oh-so-hot black private dick who's a sex machine to all the chicks and a most g... read morenarly guy who's always getting into loads of trouble. This time our main man Shaft -- the ultimate bad-a** soul brother from the Big Apple hood -- goes to the motherland (that's Africa, homeys) so he can get the goods on an evil black slavery ring that's run by -- natch -- an odious bunch of wicked white b**tards, with the Major Nasty Man himself being suavely slimy French dirt-bag Frank Finley. Like, can you dig this funky s**t, baby? Well, frankly I totally dug this simply fantastic and wonderfully outrageous globe-trotting action/adventure treat.

    John Guillerman's briskly efficient direction keeps the rousing zesty momentum humming along throughout, the action scenes are suitably rough, strenuous, exciting and dynamically staged (the stick fights in particular are the genuine happening article), there's a welcome sense of wryly self-deprecating humor (a male assassin in drag tries to plug Shaft in an airport bathroom!), the dialogue sporadically offers a few profanity-laced slangy zingers ("Baby this may blow your mind, but I don't want to [*very naughty word deleted*] you?") and the snappy pace never lets up for a minute, thereby ensuring that "Shaft in Africa" races towards a thrilling conclusion with terrifically steady and unwavering headlong brio. Moreover, the luscious Vonetta McGee lends her fetching, captivating presence as a foxy young African princess who helps Shaft out, Johnny Pate's intensely groovy wah-wah guitar-ripping score is very easy on the ears, the ever-wondrous and under-appreciated Frank McRae pops up in an amusing minor part as a bothersome henchman, the African scenery's gorgeous, Roundtree carries himself with his customary extremely watchable and winningly easy'n'breezy off-handed grace, and -- hubba! hubba! -- the tiny, adorable, curvaceous blonde looker Neda Arneric will definitely raise the blood pressure of any red-blooded heterosexual male with her smoking hot portrayal of Finley's sensuous, sex-starved main squeeze (Arneric's steamy seduction sequence with Shaft is so incredibly sexy and arousing that it nearly melted my DVD player). A hugely satisfying and immensely stirring final filmic fling for blaxploitation cinema's single most engaging and significant take-charge man's man rugged individualist protagonist.
  • lesleyanorton
    November 4, 2009
    lesleyanorton
    Shafts third adventure and the plot wouldn't look out of place in a Tintin story, albeit with a much higher body count (if you're a baddy, you're gonna die. Soon). Plus a good ten minutes of gratutious nudity as Shaft gets his kit off to demonstrate his stick fighting skills . Bu... read moret despite these (because of these?) flaws, it's still one entertaining film, largely thanks to Richard Roundtree's natural on-screen charisma and a heap of pretty tunes from the Johnny Pate + The Temptations soundtrack.
  • jackass001
    July 28, 2010
    jackass001
    richard roundtree is return to the third sequel as john shaft again this time and john shaft is heading to africa. i didnt recognize the actor frank mcrae (an tall african guy) from the beginning of the movie that he fighting with shaft with the stick and he did starring in "used... read more cars", "batteries not included", and other. so john shaft is kinda of like james bond lol. neda arneric who play as jazar who sex with shaft kinda cute. so great action and so with person who spy on shaft lol.
  • futsin
    July 10, 2007
    futsin
    I think this is my favorite Shaft Film. (surprising? You bet!) John Guillerman, aside from being part of the King Kong 76 debacle, made an impressive espionage detective quest film with Shaft utilized well and the enviornment of Africa used well. It's a unique film like they don'... read moret make anymore. It also has one killer score!

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Critic Reviews

Moira Sullivan
August 1, 2003
Moira Sullivan, FilmFestivals.com

Slow action film with Roundtree misplaced, overdone, overshown.

June 2, 2008
Variety

Click to read the article Full Review

Roger Greenspun
May 9, 2005
Roger Greenspun, New York Times

Click to read the article Full Review

Randy Shulman
October 28, 2005
Randy Shulman, Metro Weekly (Washington, DC)

No review available.

Chuck O'Leary
October 27, 2005
Chuck O'Leary, Fantastica Daily

No review available.

Emanuel Levy
July 23, 2005
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com

No review available.

Darrin Keene
February 21, 2003
Darrin Keene, Film Threat

No review available.

Jeffrey Westhoff
October 11, 2002
Jeffrey Westhoff, Northwest Herald (Crystal Lake, IL)

No review available.

Almar Haflidason
April 17, 2001
Almar Haflidason, BBC

Click to read the article Full Review

Derek Adams
February 9, 2006
Derek Adams, Time Out

Click to read the article Full Review

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

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  • Which actor played John Shaft in :Shaft,Shaft's Big score and Shaft in Africa  Answer »
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