Philip French retro-thriller of the week No 2 John Singleton has done little of consequence since his impressive debut Boyz N the Hood in 1991. His reputation will not be greatly enhanced by Shaft, a much-hyped revival of the tough, libidinous private eye impersonated by Richard Roundtree in a series of blaxploitation thrillers in the early Seventies. Though clumsily plotted, the movie is well enough staged and stars Samuel L Jackson as the maverick cop John Shaft, who has to keep an eye on bent NYPD colleagues while pursuing a rich, racist murderer (Christian Bale reprising his American Psycho character) and a Hispanic gang boss. Gordon Parks, director of the original Shaft, has a walk-on role in a Harlem bar and with his snow-white moustache looks in great shape at the age of 88. One of the actors playing a Puerto Rican pistolero glories in the name of Fidel Vicioso.