Does anybody remember Nero Wolfe? The fictional detective essentially sat in his sleuthing room the whole time while his assistant, some poor schlub named “Archie” corralled all the bad guys and brought them to the Wolfe den for investigation. That’s how I feel about the Barbershop films – as long as the issues that plague humanity can be brought to the South Side for a fade or a weave, then all shall be solved. If, say, Global Warming never gets a trim, humanity is SOL.
Now instead of a big fat guy ferreting out the truth, Calvin’s barbershop solves issues panel show style: controversy is discussed by a large gathering of would-be comedians and issues are resolved by who gets in the best punchline. “Sorry, Jazsmin Lewis, Cedric the Entertainer had a funnier stinger, therefore, abortion is now illegal.”
My take is more cynical than it should be; I’m just a little alarmed at how a film listed as a comedy made little impression for moments that were not technically drama. Barbershop: The Next Cut reminded us immediately that 
Calvin (Ice Cube) is still in charge. Three films after the orginal Barbershop, Calvin’s Barbershop is now a barbershop/salon, the latter of which generates a great deal more income than the former, as anyone who has properly viewed a human female could guess. You would think (well, I would think) that such upends the balance of power in the venue. I would be wrong. Calvin still calls all the shots, including the one where he can decide to move the shop without telling anybody, including his wife (Regina Hall).
In the barbershop itself, the men line up on one side, the women on the other and verbal battles of politics and sexism volley back and forth like a tennis rally. Nicki Minaj is a welcome addition to the workforce, not because of what she can do to hair as she exhibits the exact Kardashianesque bodytype being debated early on. Please note that this is a comedy; if you have an active coed discussion, public or private, over the type of body that drives men wild, you’re likely to end up in a big fight. Draya (Minaj) also serves as temptation for family man Rashad (Common). The major playahs in the shop are Ice Cube and Common; everybody else is a secondary concern. Rashad and Calvin both have teens (Michael Rainey Jr. and Diallo Thompson) on the verge of gangsta, which suffices as the most significant plot point and pretty much the only one that gets anybody out of the shop.
In fact, the major, and only, plot line in the second half of Barbershop: The Next Cut is the establishing offering free cuts for a weekend in exchange for a gang cease fire. While
the heart of the film is in the right place, this is where the action loses me. For instance: Why are you counting down the cease fire? And especially why are you counting it down with glee? (“Everybody, gangs are back to drive-bys in 3 … 2 … 1 … WOOHOO!”) There is no world in which this behavior makes sense. I won’t give away the subplot, but there’s even another significant reason not to celebrate said occasion.
The Barbershop genre has proven amiable if frivolous, which is a shame considering the heft of the topics attacked here from sexual roles to public gun violence. I wish I had a better review for this film, but let’s face it – this is a comedy and the best punchline I can remember is Eddie (Cedric the Entertainer) punishing a foul-mouthed child with a George Jefferson haircut; that strikes me as a tad cruel. It beats a switch, I guess.
A movie you’ll see on YouTube
Avoid coming off as a new rube
Take the action outside
And everbody’ll hide
Is this a cure for the Common/Cube?
Rated PG-13, 112 Minutes
D: Malcolm D. Lee
W: Kenya Barris & Tracy Oliver
Genre: Scissors for peace
Type of person most likely to enjoy this film: Actual barbershop denizens
Type of person least likely to enjoy this film: The permanently bald
