Review of Barbershop: The Next Cut (2016) by Zevon A — 27 Aug 2016

When can you see a fun filled gang of barbers working together in a shop sharing jokes, life concerning issues, relationships, and even trying to get through the community conflict. Well Ice Cube is bringing back the gang from the previous films and even some new members like Common and Nicki Minaj and so on. Barbershop The Next Cut being the third entry in the series is back with fun characters, plenty of humor and dramatic issues on real world conflict with crime. With many shootings situations occurring in the real world, Barbershop 3 does tend to focus on that with the backdrop settings of Chicago. Showing the layout of crime slowly increasing and gang rivalry occupying territories. Young teens being pressured to joining a gang to have there protection over another gang. Those issues play a central theme in the third film. It is nice to see how they incorporate that with Calvin (Ice Cube) son, who is 14 years old and having trouble trying to feel safe in his neighborhood without joining a gang.

Calvin, Eddie (Cedric the Entertainer), and the barber crew are back and are noticing their neighborhood is being terrorized by many gang members that are running the streets. They try to build a neutral ground with their barbershop and calling a day of ceasefire with any members of gang to join at there shop for a violence free social ground to get a hair cut.

Barbershop does have its balance of a dramatic issue and having plenty of humor throughout as the crew discusses jokes about men and ladies perspectives on the opposite sex or talking about relationships or jokes about each other. The humor does lighten the mood during such serious matter of gangs roaming the block. The film does bring in a lot of laughs and the characters are all fun. Even the new members like Rashad (Common) who is married to Terri (Eve) which she is back and forth from working at the shop and her new job that is keeping her busy and not enough time with each other. Then, there is Draya (Nicki Minaj), who has been trying to get with and be supportive to Rashad by trying to keep him company when he is alone. Can tell were the triangle is going to go with these characters. But it is a lot of fun to see this drama mash up play out. Then, the story follows back to Calvin wanting to buy a new location for his shop and relocate to a better part of the city for the safety of his wife and son. As he tries to give life lessons to his son about responsibilities and consequences about making good life choices. Barbershop: The Next Cut is a good funny comedy film, the characters are entertaining, has plenty of humor, and dramatic themes.