Plot:
In a tunnel, a guy is being chased. He's running away from a mansion. We get funky chase music. The guy is beaten by 4 guys and driven away.
A German guy, Amafi, is making a deal on his car phone.
The first car pulls into a private garage and unload battered guy, who doesn't look like he's in good shape. They put him in a room, handcuffed. He starts carving
something into the wall. This will be a plot point.
Amafi pulls in to his office. He's preparing for a new shipment of slaves. We learn that battered guy is the son of an Emir. Amafi orders that the son be killed
as an example.
Angelo, one of Amafi's lackeys, shoots the Emir's son. They drag his body away.
In New York City, Shaft is jogging and spots some kids stealing hubcaps from his car. He chases them and gets the hubcap back. He drives back to his
apartment.
A big guy, Ossiat, breaks his door down. He orders Shaft to come with him. Needless to say, Shaft isn't too impressed and refuses. Shaft unloads his gun into
the guy to no effect. A tranquilizer dart hits Shaft and knocks him out. He is putting a car and they drive out of the city. We get the credits as the Four Tops sing
about being manly enough. It can't compare to DVDA's epic song "What Makes a Man". But, it still pretty good nonetheless and better than theme song for the last
movie.
Now, the most frightening part of the movie is about to occur. If you ever wanted to see Richard Roundtree run around like the box says buck-naked, this is the
scene for you. He wakes up naked in a stable. He grabs the nearby quarter staff. As he's sneaking out, he sees Ossiat. And the stick fight is on. The naked fighting
Shaft sounds almost like a mascot for a sports team.
Another guy, Wassa, strikes up a casual conversation with Shaft during the fight and, Shaft is distracted and knocked out.
He awakens in a room with a sand floor and a ceiling of heat lamps. A mysterious voice tells him the temperature is 110°. If Shaft walks in the heat for
8 hours, he can meet with the mystery man. Shaft don't play that game and, he digs into the sand and buries himself as much as he can. Shortly, the lights are
turned out and the door is opened. The Emir's men will prepare Shaft.
Thankfully, Shaft is clothed. Emir wants to know all about him his hopes and dreams. Wait, ignore that last part. He wants to know if Shaft would kill a
man. How good is he with the stick? Emir has a job for Shaft.
The job pays $25,000. Understandably, Shaft wants to know what he'll do. Another guy enters the room and tells him about the slavery ring.
Flashback, a truck is driving from Italy to France and, the truck catches fire. The cargo was a load of Africans. The White Europeans use them for the dirty jobs
they won't do.
Somebody is needed to infiltrate the slavery ring and find who is controlling it and, the slavers won't know Shaft. Emir reveals that his son's body was found last
week, but Shaft will have to be briefed in the tribal ways.
Emir's daughter will instruct Shaft. If Emir knows so much, doesn't he know that Shaft is "sex machine to all the chicks"? As Aleme and Shaft are walking, she
teaches him. In his apartment, Ossiat is playing chaperone. Well, Shaft desperately wants some sweet imperial lovin'. Shaft and Aleme are about to kiss when Ossiat
prevents them. When Ossiat leaves the room, Shaft and Aleme sneak out of the apartment. Ossiat starts desperately looking for them and, Shaft sneaks her back in
his apartment. Ossiat breaks the door down. Emir is with him and finds Shaft diligently studying with his daughter.
What, we're studying?
Shaft is given the up-front part of fee and the plane ticket. On the plane, Shaft begins using his African persona and, on a layover, Shaft is being followed. In the
men�s room, a cleaning lady who is surprisingly manly tries to permanently clean out Shaft forever. The guy following Shaft shoots the man dressed as a
cleaner. Shaft gets back on the plane.
Amafi knows that Shaft is coming and, he wanted him dead before he left New York City. Wassa is working for Amafi, didn't kill Shaft in New York. Shaft
must die.
The plane lands in Addis Ababa and, Shaft is finally in Africa. We see some of the sites, the necessary travelogue scene. Shaft meets his contact that gives him
info to find his other contact. He gets a spy camera in his stick. He learns that a bodyguard will join up with him later before he gets to the area the slavers are
working.
Shaft has to go a ways before meeting the recruiters. He is on the bus. They stop in a small village, most of the passengers leave. Shaft stays on and so does a
creepy white guy. Note to bad guys, it's a little hard to remain in the background if you happen to be the only white guy on the bus from Addis Ababa to wherever
they're heading.
The bus drives on through the night and the next day. White guy tries to stab Shaft who manages to kill the White Guy. Granted all the other passengers were
asleep when this happened and, on a restroom break, Shaft sneaks off the bus.
Shaft is on his own now. A dog finds him. A car is approaching. Shaft hides alongside the road. The dog stands in the road and, he pulls off the road. The driver
of the car spots Shaft, stops and honks. The driver is Aleme.
Sweet lovin' will shortly ensue
Shaft spots a nearby hut. Sweet imperial lovin' does surely ensue. That night, they're both basking in the afterglow.
The next day, Shaft is back on his way and, he meets another guy carrying a stick. This is his bodyguard Kopo and, Shaft is glad to have Kopo on his side. They
enter the small village that seems to be in most National Geographic magazines: the topless female villagers. Shaft and Kopo talk with the village headman. They learn
where the White guys took the villagers. The headman also warns them that 2 men will die in the town they head towards.
They get to the city and follow some trucks. The trucks are loaded with white guys. A lot of Africans are lined up to meet with the white guys. Mean Guy kills
Shaft's dog and, Shaft stick fights him and in the process thrashes him quite roundly. He doesn't kill Mean Guy. Shaft and Kopo get bumped to the front of the
line and, they sign up for jobs. They will be played 200 francs a month but expenses such as food, clothing, and the boat trip will be held out of their pay. I don't know
how much 200 French francs were in 1973. But, that is roughly $26 now. I can only imagine that is was less then.
Shaft and Kopo bury the dog and, the white guy shoots at them, hits Kopo. Shaft manages to get to the building where White guy is perched. Shaft gets the drop
on him. White guy refuses to talk. Well, White guy won't be shooting anybody after Shaft offs him. Shaft checks on Kopo but he's dead. Shaft gets on the truck
with the others.
The trucks drive away with Shaft among the men. We get some funky traveling music. The trip takes days. The man who takes them is given his money. Now,
Shaft and the rest will be led by Zubair on the next leg of their trip. If you remember the Mean Guy, Shaft thrashed for killing his dog, we learn his name was
Ziba. More than that, Shaft has some brownie points with Zubair for beating Ziba. Multiple camel mountings begin and, everybody rides a camel as they trek into the
desert.
Amafi's chick, I'm sick of not having a name for her. Let�s call her Ilsa. Well, Ilsa enjoys the sight of the slaves working along the road. I mean really enjoys
it. She could be the Divinyls poster girl. If you know what I mean and, I think you do. Wassa pulls up alongside Amafi's car. The bad news has been delivered Shaft
still lives. Wassa will get on the ship and take care of Shaft personally, but Ilsa wants to tag along. She especially wants to enjoy first-hand why Shaft is known as
"Sex-machine to all the chicks" and, Amafi needs Ilsa to help him with his little problem in the pre-viagra days.
The caravan pulls into town. The Africans are given money; they'll pay it back later. Does this sound like the Africans will get to Europe and ever be able to pay
off their debts? Zubair decides to treat Shaft to a night on the town before sundown.
Shaft is about to experience what the ladies of ill repute have to offer, but, he hears a commotion. A group of men are looking for him and, Shaft gets away. The
chase begins. Shaft grabs one of his pursuers and, the man refuses to answer any if Shaft's questions. A broken neck later, Shaft has a body to hide.
The next morning, the Africans board the boat. Zubair gets his money and wishes Shaft well on his way. It seems that Zubair actually liked Shaft. The Africans
are put in the hold. Shaft spies Ilsa looking all like she needs to experience Shaft. Wassa wants to kill Shaft and get it over with finally. Ilsa really wants "Sex-machine
to all the chicks" all night long. She really wants to be "rocked like a hurricane" in the Scorpions terminology.
That night, groups of Africans are brought up from the hold. Shaft follows Ilsa. She knows he's an American private investigator and, she will help him, if he helps
her.
They go to her cabin and, Shaft checks to make sure it isn't a trap. Shaft learns that Wassa was the leak. Shaft isn't really interested in Ilsa who decides on using
the naked approach. Shaft is not going to give her any sweet lovin' but use her as a hostage. Ilsa tells him about Amafi, but that information makes Shaft think it is time
for sweet lovin' to ensue. And Ilsa does get to her sweet lovin' she's been craving.
Wassa picks the door's lock and, he's going to shoot Shaft. But, Shaft is ready and has a truer aim. Shaft and Ilsa are going to use a motor boat to get away. A
sailor spies them preparing to leave and, he throws his knife. It misses Shaft. Remember the line from the "Untouchables" about Capone pulling a knife, you pull
a gun? Well, it serves Shaft well when he shoots the sailor. Shaft realizes that Ilsa died from the knife and, he lowers her in the motor boat. Shaft sneaks back into
the hold.
The captain of the ship informs Amafi that Wassa is dead. One of his sailors and the girl deserted and, the Africans are on their way to Paris.
The truck carrying the Africans stops and, they get into the building. Perreau comes in to talk with them. He handles the money. The room costs 100 francs a
month. That is half of their monthly pay. Perreau brings up every one of them owes for the trip, the money advances, etc... If they are on the street, they'll be thrown
in prison for owing money. After this pep talk, Perreau leaves. Shaft sneaks up off the roof and gets out on the street.
Angelo and unnamable goon are looking for Shaft, but Shaft has made it to a cafe to call the police. Angelo and the goon rough up the Africans to find Shaft. A
kerosene lantern gets knocked over and, a fire starts. Angelo and the goon drag Oyo, one of the Africans, away to question him. The building is on fire most of the
Africans have died.
Shaft is at the police department. Aleme is there, too. Police have never heard of Amafi. An uppity French police detective informs Shaft they'll handle things
from now. They don't need Shaft acting without any authority. The phone rings....
Shaft and Aleme are at the building. Most of the African's bodies have been dragged into the street. Do I have to say that Shaft wants to make Amafi really
suffer? Snooty cop has to give the typical "law will punish them" spiel. Shaft has some good righteous rage how the slavery could end if they wanted to stop it. But,
they'd rather have slaves do their dirty work. He storms off...
Bad case of timing occurs, Perreau shows up to the waiting arms of Shaft. Shaft gets the address where Perreau takes the money and, Shaft and Aleme head for
the office. Shaft goes in the place.
The offices have been torn apart. Some guy tries to shoot Shaft. But, Shaft manages to get him. Aleme and Shaft check the files.
Angelo and the goon bring Oyo to the tunnels at the first of the movie. There are a number of Africans locked in cells, there as well. They start torturing him to
learn abut Shaft.
Aleme finds the room where her brother died and, it has a message he carved into the wall. Aleme and Shaft figure out the clue to where Amafi should
be. Needless to say, Shaft heads there to end it.
The goon is preparing to destroy the tunnels. We learn that the Africans that are in the tunnels were troublemakers for Amafi. They tried to escape and tell the
police.
Shaft drives up to the chateau. He takes care of a couple of guards and storms the mansion and, then he finds the tunnels.
The explosives are almost set. Oyo gets a stick and spears Angelo and, the Africans get Angelo's keys and unlock themselves.
Amafi and Shaft are around a corner from each other. Amafi wants to know why Shaft killed Ilsa and, Shaft tells the truth that he didn't do it. More surprisingly,
Amafi doesn't accuse him of lying. Shaft wants Amafi to drop his gun and come where he can see him. Amafi likes that idea threatens to blow the tunnels with the
Africans unless Shaft tosses his gun down and steps where Amafi can see him, but Amafi doesn't see that the Africans are right behind him.
Shaft tosses one of his guns down and, the Africans grab Amafi and carry out of the tunnels. Shaft gets the detonator and blows the tunnels. Amafi is dragged
to a fountain where the Africans drown him. The French police get there. Uppity French cop sees the dead guards, the burning car, and the drown guy in the
fountain. He only offers to get Shaft to his plane and is probably terrified of what else Shaft would do in France if he stays...
Shaft is on the plane. Aleme is on the plane, too. Do I really need to make Mile-High club joke?
