The 1971 film of "Shaft" helped to save "M.G.M" from facing bankruptcy, so naturally they commissioned a follow-up movie. Titled "Shafts Big Score" and released in 1972, the plot is what defeats this film. The scenes look as though they were hastily thrown together with no sense of continuity. I could hardly decipher what was happening from one scene to the next and I know I'm not alone here. The action scenes aren't bad but they can't compensate for a narrative that is very weak in its structure. For some reason which is only known to a handful of people, a further "Shaft" film was made!

Richard Roundtree carried on his character of John Shaft for a sequel to the original Shaft with Shaft's big score. This time he has no client, he's working on his own to solve the bombing murder of a friend, find $250,000.00 from the same friend that went missing at the same time and protect the sister of the deceased who may or may not have the money.

Kathie Imrie is the sister and guarding her body is the best part of the deal as it is a lovely body. But his real problem is the partner of the dead friend Wally Taylor. Taylor and the deceased had many interests, a funeral parlor and an insurance agency. But they also had the numbers racket in Harlem and Taylor has a bad gambling habit.

As in the first Shaft film, Italian gangsters led by Joseph Mascolo and Joe Santos are looking to move in on the numbers. That is if Harlem racketeer Moses Gunn from the first Shaft movie doesn't move it first. And the ever present police are also interfering and they are represented by Julius Harris.

For some reason they dropped the Oscar winning theme from the first Shaft movie, though Isaac Hayes did write more music. Why drop a trademark? I'll bet a lot of fans were disappointed.

Without even the Oscar winning song, Shaft's Big Score shapes up as another routine action/adventure film, fans of Roundtree will like it.

Here's an entertaining follow-up to SHAFT, which, while lacking that film's originality and/or classic status, still proves to be worthwhile viewing for the masses - and perhaps a little more obscure than it ought to be. Okay, so I didn't enjoy this as much as the first one because perhaps the novelty of a streetwise wise-cracking black detective has gone, but the film still puts across the same gritty atmosphere of life on the street. This is a film of violence, with characters being bloodily beaten at regular intervals, and bullet hits which make their victims darned near explode.

Once again Richard Roundtree reprises his role of the irrepressible John Shaft, this time battling double-crossing criminals and the underworld in his search for revenge for the murder of an old friend. Roundtree is replete with his cheesy one-liners as he fights racism in the police bureau and battles bad guys on the street. There's also a stash of loot hidden somewhere inside a graveyard and lots of differing factions who want a cut for themselves. The supporting cast of violent villains is a great one, with many familiar faces in the cast including the metal-armed killer from LIVE AND LET DIE.

Speaking of Bond, there are some definite influences from that series on this film, and it's not trying to be as realistic as the first - just entertaining. The smack-bang over-the-top finale sees a huge chase involving cars, a speedboat, and a helicopter and is packed with impressive stunts, bloody squib hits, and the bangs of guns and screech of tyres. Well filmed and wildly entertaining, this is the highlight of the movie for me. It may be no classic but SHAFT'S BIG SCORE! is an enjoyable thriller with a very likable leading character.