The Shaft (2001)

Dick Maas is a genius! Already with one killer elevator epic The Lift under his belt, Maas apparently wasn't done with the genre because in 2001 he actually got someone to fund a 15-million-dollar remake of the original! Amazing as that might be, more amazing is the fact that it turns the original's fun and outrageous factors up to 11. Leaving the boring drama at the door this time, Down plays it completely cheeseball right out of the gate and doesn't stop until every gag you could do with a killer elevator is played out with hilarious results. Each amazing kill from The Lift is duplicated (almost shot for shot at times) with brilliant new twists and added death scenes to boot! Effects-wise, the CG is surprisingly well handled and used for some fantastically over the top set pieces and visuals. Back once again is the extreme dub job used on most of the cast, though this time, they all sound like cartoons -- which only adds to the hilarity. The minor players all seem to be in on the joke too as such greats as Michael Ironside, Dan Hedaya, Edward Herrmann and future Hellboy Ron Perlman all chew their dialogue to pieces. And just how lucky was Maas when his lead actress Naomi Watts hit big with the American remake of The Ring, just one year later? Well, lucky enough to warrant a pretty wide DVD release (under the new name The Shaft). While some viewers might be disappointed because she's not the focal point of the story (that privilege went to ex-Twin Peaks brooder James Marshall), she's still got some great spunk that shines through with the light as air script. All in all, an almost note perfect remake -- and that is a rare, rare thing. Kudos to Dick Maas for this classic straight-to-DVD gem. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, All Movie Guide