For Canby, Shaft conjures up the traditions of all the heroes of the silver screen, not the least of which is detective Sam Spade. All this excitement stems, he says, from the vitality of the black audience newly opened to the magic of the movies. For Canby, the good feeling that Shaft leaves with movie- goers, black or white, overrides any technical flaws it might have. Not so for S.K. Oberbeck, a reviewer for Newsweek. Maybe so, but even that aspect of the movie was a draw for black audiences.
Shaft is the main attraction here.
If the movie spends most of its time developing his character, so be it. There is a reason his name is the title. Oberbeck also comments on the technical quality of the film. But again, these are elements that build the character. When it comes to character development in Shaft , it's all good.