Shaft

Introduction

Shaft, released in 2000 is an American Police Movie. The film is a sequel of a film made in 1971 going by the same name. It is the 5th film directed by John Singleton.

Cast

Samuel L. Jackson (Coach Carter, SWAT)
Toni Collette
Busta Rhymes
Vanessa L. Williams
Jeffrey Wright
Mekhi Phifer
Christian Bale.

Plot
John Shaft (Jackson) is called in to investigate a racially motivated murder committed by Walter Wade (Christian Bale), the son of a wealthy real estate tycoon. However, the only eye witness, Diane Palmieri (Toni Collette), disappears without a trace. Having been let off on bail, Wade flees to Switzerland but returns two years later, confident that his connections and wealth will acquit him, so long as the waitress witness doesn't testify against him. Wade then enlists the assistance of a Dominican drug lord, Peoples Hernandez (Jeffrey Wright), to do his dirty business for him, track down the waitress and kill her. Shaft must, with the help of his fellow detective Carmen Vasquez (Vanessa L. Williams), find Diane whilst having to fight off Wade, Peoples, several shot guns, and a host of corrupt officers in order to bring Wade to justice.
Soundtrack

The film does have a sound track. The sound track is highly unmemorable and doesn't really do anything for what is, frankly, a poor film.

Analysis

If you chose to watch on through the boredom of the opening credits seeming to last an eternity, you have made the wrong choice.
You can pick fault with almost any area of this film, so I will attempt to do so.
The sound track I mentioned above.
The acting and realism is unbelievable; Shaft manages to shoot and kill about 10 thugs, whilst holding a witness behind his back and climb unconcerned into his car where his friend (Rhymes) has been sitting watching the action unfurl. The next scene depicts a car a chase where the 'Baddies' decide not to duck when Shaft is firing bullets at them and so all get killed. Another great example of muck up in this come is in the courtroom scene, if you look closely the judges nameplate changes from Kimball to Bradford.
Most members of the cast speak very quietly and incomprehensively you have to turn the sound right up or resort to lip reading.
The movie had a budget of $44,000,000 and I don't have a clue where they put it. The plot is paper thin, not really helped by the characters lack or emotion throughout the entirety or the film.

Running Time

99 minutes

Ratings

67% on Rotten Tomatoes

Coach Carter

Introduction

Coach Carter, released in 2005 is an American inspiration film based on real events in 1999. It is the 4th film directed by Thomas Cater.

Cast

Samuel L. Jackson (Rules of Engagement, SWAT)
Rob Brown
Robert Ri'chard
Rick Gonzalez
Nana Gbewonyo
Antwon Tanner
Channing Tatum
Ashanti
Texas Battle
Denise Dowse
Debbi Morgan
Mel Winkler
Vincent Laresca
Sidney Faison
Octavia Spencer
Adrienne Bailon
Dana Davis
Bob Costas

Plot

The movie begins with a basketball team playing against St. Francis, only to end up with the teams fighting with each other and themselves. After the game, Ken Carter (Samuel L. Jackson) is offered a part-time, low-paying ($1000 for the whole basketball season) job coaching the basketball team at his old school, an inner-city public school called Richmond, where he had previously played and set as of yet, unbroken records. Although he discovers the players to be unruly and disrespectful, he accepts and starts to gain their respect.

Coach Carter gives strict new rules for the team in the form of contracts; they must maintain a 2.3 grade point average (above 2.0 GPA set by the authorities), they must attend classes and sit in the front row, and they must wear jackets and ties on game days.
The two top scores from last years season walk out and one of the players, Timo Cruz (Rick Gonzalez), walks out of practice on the first day after an altercation with Carter. Cruz is later seen hanging with his, drug-dealing cousin. Carter's son Damien, a good student who attended and played basketball at the private school St. Francis, quits the school (against his father's will) and transfers to Richmond High School to play basketball on his Dad's team. Carter agreed this after Damien ratified a contract stating that he will maintain a GPA of 3.7.

The movie brings out the personal side of some players, most notably, Kenyon, (Rob Brown), who's pregnant girlfriend, Kyra (Ashanti) has given up on her plans for college in favor of having the baby, even though she sees first-hand how that has gone for her cousin. Kenyon becomes confused, unable to decide whether he should continue with his academic life and play basketball in college or take care of the baby. Meanwhile, Cruz goes back and forth between dealing drugs and playing for the team. He walks in on practice on day, asking to return. Carter challenges him with the impossible task of 1000 suicides and 2500 pushups to be completed in less than a week. Cruz comes close to the set number but is unable to finish. His teammates offer to do the rest of the suicides and pushups for Cruz, after which Carter allows Cruz back on the team. Together, Carter and the team, after a heavy course of working outs, win their first match and the others after it, annihilating the previous seasons' record of 22 games and only four wins.

Despite the team's winning record, Carter eventually realizes the players have developed bad attitudes by being arrogant and mocking the other teams, and that, many of them are not living up to his academic requirements. Carter solved the former problem by making fun of them in practice and eventually putting a rule that cocky behavior was banned. Later, the team is invited to play in a tournament in which they win. Not only did they win the tournament but they also were invited to a girl's party. They sneaked out only to be discovered missing when Carter went looking for his son. Carter goes to the house to confront his players, coming face to face with the home's owners who had just arrived home. Carter finds Damien in the pool with two girls, kissing one of them. Other members are also soon found including one player who was upstairs with the daughter of the owners. Carter is infuriated with the team's behavior, threatening them with the toughest practices ever.

After receiving the poor grades reports of the team, Carter cracks down on them and locks them out of the gym in the midst of the still undefeated season. He cancels basketball practice, forfeits games including the most important game of the season, and makes the team spend practice time in the library, being tutored by some of their teachers. Although a few of the players are fulfilling the contract (including one who protests that he has a 3.3 GPA), Carter insists that all the players must accept the consequences for their collective actions as a team. This results with Cruz quitting the team a second time, going back to work for his drug-dealing cousin.

Late one night, his cousin is shot and killed on the sidewalk while Cruz is walking back to him after greeting his friends from the team. Cruz ends up at Carter's house that night, apologizing for his behavior and begging him to allow him back on the team.

Eventually, the school board and the parents fight back against Carters actions. The board eventually votes 4-2 to end the lockout, the dissenting votes being the school's principal and the chairwoman of the board.

Without ruining the rest of the film for you I recommend you watch it! As it is not in my aims to spoil a fantastic ending.

Soundtrack

The film does have a sound track. The sound track is unfortunately unmemorable because you are too busy concentrating on a good film so I suppose it does its job.

Analysis

Absolutely loved this film, it breathed quality throughout. I only watching this once but I feel conscripted to go and watch it again mainly because of the fantastic storyline. The acting was good but, being a Brit, my knowledge of basketball is understandably minimal, the clips shown of the sport were of perfect length, enough to wet the appetite of a basketball fan, and short enough to hold the interest of someone who doesn't have a clue what is going on. Compared to the film is watched yesterday "Shaft" this film is a comparative godsend in all the areas Shaft falls, this rises high. There is a gulf in difference. Frankly I am astounded by the Rotten Tomatoes ratting.

Running Time

136 minutes

Ratings

63% on Rotten Tomatoes

Rules Of Engagement

Introduction

Rules Of Engagement, released in 2000 is an American War-legal-moral justice kind of film. The film is written by James Webb a former soldier turned lawyer and directed by William Friedkin, it is his 15 film.

Cast

Samuel L. Jackson (Snakes on a Plane)
Tommy Lee Jones (No Country for Old Men)
Ben Kingsley
Guy Pearce
Bruce Greenwood
Philip Baker Hall
Dale Dye
Nicky Katt
Mark Feuerstein
Richard McGonagle
Baoan Coleman
Blair Underwood

Plot

The film starts in the midst of the Vietnam war in 1968 with Col. Terry L. Childers (Jackson) leading his marines through the dense rainforests and swamps of Vietnam. His men come under heavy fire from a small group of Vietcong guerrillas, the marines take heavy casualties and capture two Vietnam POW's. Whilst the US soldiers are interrogating the POW's the other platoon of marines nearby get slaughtered and the gun shot are heard by Childers. He orders the two to call off the attack and when they ignore the request he shoots one between the eyes, the other POW eventually agrees and calls off. There is only one survivor Col. Hayes Lawrence "Hodge" Hodges II (Tommy Lee Jones).
The next scene depicts the retirement celebration of Col. Hayes Lawrence "Hodge" Hodges II he meets up with Childers where they discuss the events in Vietnam and how it "Is a whole different ball game now."

The moat important piece of the movie comes next; Childers and his platoon are summoned to the American embassy in Yemen where a nasty protest has kicked off outside the gates. The troop are told to go in there are evacuate the ambassador and his family, however on entry they come under heavy sniper fire and several soldiers are killed and injured. Childers sees this and orders fire on the protestors killing all of them (83).

Without ruining the rest of the story, a court case is issued against Childers on the charge of murder; he hires the soldier he saved (Col. Hayes Lawrence "Hodge" Hodges II) to defend him.

Messages

Many people received different messages from the film; Arab Americans were infuriated at the portrayal of their nations as camps for terrorists, international commentators said that this was the kind of senseless murder the world allowed the USA to get away with.

Soundtrack

The film does have a sound track, produced by Mark Isham. However in perfect harmony to this film it is nothing special, nothing dramatic and slightly tedious.

Analysis

If asked to use one word to describe my feelings about the film after watching it I would say "average." It is not the worst film I have ever watched, but it is certainly not the best. The actors give a half hearted performance in a story where there seems to be no laughter no tension and no emotion. The storyline is poor and as predictable as the final line of a fairy tale. In short this film is stuck in a Limbo of emptiness derived of anything, but that said it JUST has enough to hold your intrest and find something more productive to do with your time.

Running Time

128 minutes

Ratings

37% on Rotten Tomatoes

Conclusion

The collection mixes the sublime with the boring and horrific. Coach Carter is in another league to the other two films, in every area where Coach Carter succeeds the other two crumble. If you do buy this set, watch Shaft first Coach Carter second and Rules of Engagement last. This way you get the worst out of the way so being you think it can only get better, and it does with a huge gulf, so, you suspect the best is saved to last after so much promise from Coach Carter and, climatically its not. This perfectly summarizes my expectations of this collection, I expected so much but it was a huge let down. My advice would be to just buy Coach Carter and leave the other two well alone.