stated, "The first 'Shaft' had a running-scared excitement not only in the characters, but also throughout the whole picture. The new film seems more self-conscious, contrived, ambitious, and sluggish." Kevin Thomas of the Los Angeles Times wrote, "As pure escapist fare it's every bit as successful as 'Shaft.'" Gary Arnold of The Washington Post panned the film as "strenuous but unimaginative," expressing disappointment that the filmmakers didn't "attempt to do a little more the second time around—maybe give the hero some more humor and dimension and his adventures more scope and relevance." He also called the absence of Isaac Hayes' score "a crucial loss ... You really miss that sound, which gave 'Shaft' a persistent, rhythmic drive and undercurrent." Clyde Jeavons of The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote, "It's efficient, exciting in a predictable, routine way, and excessively violent (with the emphasis on pyrotechnics, beatings and messy bullet-holes); but plot-wise it's patently absurd, with Shaft's invulnerability attaining supernatural proportions in the climax, as he makes life as easy as possible for his murderous opponents by scampering about suicidally in front of their machine guns, which he survives with nary a scratch." On review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a "rotten" rating of 58% based on 12 reviews. Release Shaft's Big Score! premiered in New York City on June 21, 1972. The film was released on DVD initially on June 6, 2000, then August 30, 2005, and finally January 31, 2006 by Warner Home Video. It was included on a Blu Ray as part of the 2022 Criterion Collection 4K release of the first film. See also List of American films of 1972 References External links 1972 films 1970s action thriller films 1970s crime action films 1970s mystery thriller films American action thriller films American crime action films American mystery thriller films American sequel films Blaxploitation films American detective films Films directed by Gordon Parks Films set in New York City Films shot in New York City Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer films American neo-noir films Big Score 1970s English-language films 1970s American films