The 70's were bad enough the first time.

Rating: 2/10 (2 November 2005)

Oh joy. Someone gave Quentin Tarantino another chance. When will they learn? In this outing, Tarantino decides to revisit the 1970's spy thriller/blaxploitation flick, with Uma Thurman playing the role of Shaft. The only advantage he has over the original era seems to be a better quality of film stock.
Plenty of reviews praise the "originality" of this movie. The people writing those reviews are nitwits. This is arguably the most derivative piece of hackwork I've ever seen. Its every pace, its every camera angle, is lifted from previous eras and other genres. There's no originality in pastiche. And if Tarantino, or other pseudo-intellectuals, want to dignify this con-job with the name of "homage," it doesn't change the facts. There's a reason that schlock-fests like this went out in the 1980's -- audiences outgrew them. Well, apparently a new crop of teenage boys need the lesson taught again. Too bad.
The entire plot is predicated on a revenge for a crime we get no background on. the victims and the perpetrators are essentially nameless, free of anything more than comic-book level characterizations. Everyone in the movie is a grotesque parody, leaving the discerning audience member who can see past the gallons of fake blood to hunt in vain for anyone worth rooting for.
This is strictly for those prepubescents who think it's "kewl" for women to dress up in bondage outfits and have swordfights. Anyone with more maturity than that should steer clear.