Barbershop: The Next Cut

What is 1 + 1 + 1? 4, of course. (Duh!) Just like 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 = 3. Well, the math makes sense if you're talking about the "Barbershop" movies. Is 2016's "Barbershop: The Next Cut" (PG-13, 1:52), which was originally titled "Barbershop 3", the third or fourth in the series? It depends on how you count. The original film, 2002's "Barbershop", followed the personal and business lives of the black owner (Ice Cube) and workers in Calvin's Barbershop on Chicago's South Side. The sequel, 2004's "Barbershop 2: Back in Business", followed most of those same characters as they and their barbershop struggled with the gentrification of their neighborhood. That film also introduced the character of Gina (played by Queen Latifah), who moved from Chicago to Atlanta and opened up a beauty shop in her new neighborhood, in 2005's "Beauty Shop". (Does that make "Beauty Shop" a spin off or a sequel? Ah, therein lays our problematic math problem.) Either way, a decade later, the South Side of Chicago has become an even badder part of town (to paraphrase Jim Croce), but Calvin's Barbershop is still there.

Much has changed in the years since we last saw Calvin's Barbershop. To fight the lingering effects of the recession in their neighborhood, Calvin and local beauty shop owner, Angie (Regina Hall), have formed a partnership which has them both working out of the same space, now half barbershop and half beauty shop. Calvin's Barbershop is no longer "the original man cave" as one character calls it, but the co-ed atmosphere livens up the place with spirited conversations about the various problems and perceptions of men vs. women, as well as black vs. white. These discussions don't solve anything, but they are entertaining and even enlightening to listen to as the audience gets to hear how others think.

Like the previous "Barbershop" films, this one is mainly about the colorful characters who take care of the hair and also those who sit in the chair. On the ladies' side of the shop, besides co-owner Angie, we get to know the loud and curvaceous Draya (Nicki Minaj), who constantly flaunts her sexuality, and the somewhat quieter, but no less opinionated Bree (Margot Bingham), who often clashes with Draya. On the other side of the shop, working behind the one barber's chair that faces the door, Calvin still dispenses haircuts, while his deceased father's friend, Eddie (Cedric the Entertainer) dispenses wisdom and jokes in equal doses. Calvin's best friend, Rashad (Common) works at the next station down (when he's not arguing with his over-worked and jealous wife, played by Eve), while a morally ambiguous character called One Stop (J.B. Smoove) is near the door dispensing… whatever will make him a buck.

There are a couple other new faces among the male employees, including the lovably nerdy Jarrod (Lamorne Morris) and Raja (Utkarsh Ambudkar), the shop's "only non-negro", as he calls himself… after asking permission. We also meet Anthony (Torion Sellers), a clean-cut teen who helps out in the shop, and Dante (Deon Cole), a customer who never seems to leave. JD (Anthony Anderson) is back as the fast-talking co-owner of a catering business and Jimmy (Sean Patrick Thomas) is an alderman who is floating a controversial idea aimed at reducing neighborhood crime, which is the film's main theme.

There's much talk throughout the movie (including narrations by Ice Cube's character, book-ending the action) about Chicago's increasing problem with gang-related shootings. Calvin and company reject Jimmy's idea of permanently closing off some neighborhood streets to all vehicular traffic, but clearly SOMETHING has to be done. People are being shot and killed on Chicago streets on a daily basis and the barbershop employees have to dive for cover at one point when they hear shots fired right outside their windows, and, later, rival gang leaders (Jamal Woodard and Renell Gibbs) almost get violent when they end up in the barbershop at the same time. Meanwhile, Calvin's son, Jalen, who was born to him and his wife, Jennifer (Jazsmin Lewis), at the end of the original "Barbershop" is now a teenager (being played by Michael Rainey, Jr.) and is hanging around Rashad's son, Kenny (Diallo Thompson), while both boys are coming dangerously close to joining a street gang. The folks in the barbershop come up with an audacious plan to stem the tide of shootings in their neighborhood, but Calvin is also exploring the possibility of pulling up stakes and re-establishing his shop in a safer neighborhood on the North Side.

"Barbershop: The Next Cut" is an entertaining but flawed treatment of a critically important topic. Although the movie is a bit talky (not overly long, but the longest of the "Barbershop" films), the conversations are filled with funny, interesting and insightful moments. The story's drama (which is more prevalent than the comedy) is effective, but its subplots distract from the movie's main message of how gang violence is destroying lives and neighborhoods. The 2015 Spike Lee Joint "Chi-Raq" tackled the same problem (also in Chicago), but was more creative, more entertaining and ultimately more touching than this film. It also doesn't help that this film voices dislike for white people in general and dismissively mocks points of view different from those held by a majority of the people in Calvin's Barbershop. Awkwardly working distaste for an entire race into their conversations, while also portraying black people as a monolithic group who all have (or should have) the same opinions do the movie's mission no favors. However, the message (The killing must stop and solutions to neighborhood problems have to come from within!) is well worth repeating – and this film is well worth seeing. "B+"

Barbershop: The Next Cut is a 2016 American comedy film directed by Malcolm D. Lee. It is the fourth film in the Barbershop film series and stars an ensemble cast, including Ice Cube, Cedric the Entertainer, Regina Hall and Anthony Anderson.

Calvin, Eddie and the rest of the gang must work together to save their shop and their neighborhood from trigger-happy gang members that roam the streets.

Critics wrote positive comments about this fantastic comedy.

Barbershop: The Next Cut Is heartfelt, thought-provoking, and above all funny.

Absolutely recommended for teens and adults and to anyone sad and exhausted.

I guarantee you this fantastic comedy with amazing Black people will cheer you from start to finish.

It's an alright third part of the (now) Barbershop trilogy.

Not that very many people actually asked for a third one but yeah it didn't turn out too bad, not as good as the first (which to me is a borderline classic) but slightly better than the second (which to me was just okay).

Not tremendously many surprises to be found, mostly consisting of people discussing various topics in a barbershop per usual. This time though often in a more serious tone as opposed to the previous films where it was mostly about the jokes (and yes black lives matters etc are covered in the topics but not to the point that it gets exhausting they do mix it up a bit).

Most of the old cast have been replaced with new characters, Ice Cube, Cedric and Eve are the only barbers to return in this movie.

Troy Garrity and Sean Patrick Thomas does both show up but they've left the barbershop and only serves as cameos this time around.

Michael Ealy and Leonard Earl Howze (African dude) are nowhere to be found.

The newer recruits are mostly okay though albeit can't really fill the big shoes the original gang left, Common might be an exception though, always found him to be one of the better rappers turned actors. Nicki Minaj mostly serves as eye-candy but it works.

Also JB Schmoove replaces DeRay Davis (who has said not even to been asked to return) as the 'hustle guy', I don't think they are the same character per sé but they don't really differ a whole lot.

Tyga who I'm not really much of a fan of I must admit is pretty good as a gang member in this.

Anyway overall, watchable for sure but if they do a fourth one they have to switch things up a bit more.

I am never a fan of comedy movies having sequels and three-quels, very few can pull it off and when I saw the first trailer for this I wasn't excited at all. I ended up seeing this movie out of default. I wanted to see Jungle Book (but my friend wanted to take his boyfriend to see it so this was the only option LOL). I, pretty much, had low expectations going. I was very intrigued all the way through. About an hour in, I whispered to my friend "ummm...this is actually a really good movie."

Of course, like most films, it's not without its flaws but those are more subjective based on the individual's taste. But its nothing that cant be forgiven. There are some corny parts and some of the subject matter was a bit surface level but when it's a family film, I know that there not gonna go to in depth into politics, cheating, gang violence, etc.

What I enjoyed the most about it, is that there was an ongoing story line outside of the theme of the Barbershop. Everyone involved got a chance to shine and you didn't feel like many of the characters were just there. A lot of the social topics that were tackled in each Barbershop scene was very surface level (which is one flaw that I stated before) but it kind of had to be because if you delved deeper than it would have turned into the writers/director trying to force their own opinion on the audience. But it was meant to just open the door for the conversation to continue.

The comedy did what it was supposed to do. There were many corny parts, where I felt like the actors were reaching and there were some parts where laughed out loud.

My main gripe was with Nicki Minaj's character. She just played herself. She wasn't bad, it's just I'd be more impressed with her if she took a role that was the complete opposite of her hand as an artist.

All in all, I would definitely recommend this film to anyone. It's a fun, family film that is 100% enjoyable if you watch it with no expectations.

When Barbershop came out in 2002, I felt it was a great comedy, because it was hilarious, and it had a great message, so naturally a belated sequel excited me. The cast from the old film is gone, except for Ice Cube and Cedric the Entertainer, who are back. Barbershop: The Next Cut is funny, contains a heartwarming message, and features a lot more depth than many would expect from a comedy. It should be noted now, I do feel that the original Barbershop was a better all around film.

Barbershop: The Next Cut as a comedy alone, isn't hilarious but is quite funny, and will have a few good moments of laughter, but nothing truly hilarious. From the comedy perspective, one character helps keep these films funny, and that's Cedric the Entertainer. Unfortunately, I watched the film comparing it to the original, and the original was clearly funnier, as the focus in "The Next Cut" was not on the comedy as much. The only problem with that is that in Barbershop the film was so funny, that when it switched to being serious, those moments resonated with the audience, where in this film they don't resonate as much.

The film does try to be serious quite often, which isn't a surprise, and in fact is one of the best elements of the film. However you take the message, it's a good message, and putting a message that we can all agree upon in a comedy makes it even better. The film does a really great job reflecting on the community structure of today, ironically though the message, while directed at poverty stricken places, isn't limited exclusively to one of place or group of people, we all can learn from this movie.

As happened with Barbershop in 2002, "The Next Cut" has an unexpected amount of emotional depth. It's refreshing in the climate of modern comedies, where many of them are mechanical, that a comedy can show so much depth. The Next Cut, much like it's predecessor is able to be both funny and serious, making the moments when it is serious even more powerful. It's also nice to see a group with so much chemistry that they feel and look like a real community, so when they fight it feels real.

In the end Barbershop: The Next Cut is a really good comedy film, that does exactly what comedy should do, makes you laugh and teaches you life lessons along the way. The film is both funny, and emotional, which is really refreshing when some comedies are neither. The only thing for those who love the original Barbershop is that "The Next Cut", in my opinion, is not quite as good, but is extremely close. For anybody that wants a good relaxing time at the theater, this movie is a perfect choice.