Shaft

THE GIST: The untimely and suspicious death of a close friend forces JJ Shaft to reach out to his estranged father for help. Their investigation uncovers a messy web of intricate parties, each with their own interests.

The latest installment of Shaft sees Samuel L. Jackson return in the title role he quite successfully made his own almost 20 years ago. Here, he's sharing screen time not only with the original John Shaft, played by Richard Roundtree as his uncle, but also with who is certainly hoped to represent a continuation of the franchise, Jessie T. Usher, as his son.

Roundtree and Usher certainly hold their own, as do Regina Hall, Titus Welliver, and Luna Lauren Velez, but hardly anyone is a match for Jackson, whose presence dominates above all others.

THE BOTTOM LINE: This crime-action-thriller is fun enough and it shouldn't scare off the casual viewer who hasn't seen any of the previous installments.

Grade: 6