Review of Shaft's Big Score! (1972) by Greg W — 10 Mar 2013

After Shaft (1971) was a success, and effectively saving MGM from potential bankruptcy after several big budget flops, they ordered a sequel immediately, sensing they had a new franchise on their hands to rival James Bond.

They got back Gordon Parks to direct the sequel as well as it's star, it's not as good as the first film, but it does have it's moments, and it's saved thanks to a well staged finale. John Shaft (Richard Roundtree) is back on the mean streets of Harlem, this time investigating the murder of his friend Cal Asby (Robert Kya-Hill), who was part of a numbers racket in New York with John Kelly (Wally Taylor), who has found himself on the receiving end of the Mafia, who want to know where Asby hid the money from their latest job, and Mafia boss Gus Mascola (Joseph Mascolo) wants $250,000 from Taylor.

Before Asby died, he had told Shaft of the job he was involved in, and Shaft becomes involved in the search for the money, along with gang boss Bumpy Jonas (Moses Gunn). However, Police Captain Bollin (Julius Harris) believes Shaft has turned bad and is with the gangsters.

It has it's moments, but it's overlong and it does drag in places, but Roundtree does have a likeable charm and rugged tenacity, and if it wasn't for the finale, which goes from a car chase, to a boat chase to a helicopter chase is the films' saving grace.