Film Review: ‘Barbershop: The Next Cut’ Does Their Take on ‘Chi-Raq’

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Average: 5 (1 vote)

CHICAGO – The Barbershop series of films have always prided themselves on following the “Seinfeld Rule” – they are essentially about nothing. But with this go-around – like the recent “Chi-Raq” – the gang at the shop takes on the Chicago neighborhood violence around them, in “Barbershop: The Next Cut.”

HollywoodChicago.com Oscarman rating: 3.5/5.0
Rating: 3.5/5.0

It’s still light hearted fare, and Cedric the Entertainer is still the one man Greek Chorus as Eddie, but like many neighborhoods in Chicago, the fictional south side environs of the barbershop are facing up to the wild west-style shootings that seem to happen on a nightly basis. Through this serious subject, they try to work it out and actually do something for their people. It’s a lot more noble, and it’s effectively woven (pun intended) into the Barbershop series zeitgeist.

Calvin (Ice Cube) is still running his south side barbershop, with the usual hustlers, hangers-on and regular customers. His fellow cutters are Jimmy (Sean Patrick Thomas), Rashad (Common) and the always unpredictable Eddie (Cedric the Entertainer). The twist on this on is that Calvin shares his business with a beauty shop, run by Angie (Regina Hall) and featuring Draya (Nicki Minaj) on one of the chairs.

When more shootings start to occur in the neighborhood, Calvin contemplates buying a new shop on the safer north side, and actually lines up something through “One-Stop” (J.B. Smoove). Calvin and Rashad are worried about their sons (Diallo Thompson and Michael Rainey Jr.) and their interests in gangs, while Rashad is also having problems of his own as Draya is tempting him outside his marriage to Terri (Eve). Not to worry, though, because J.D.(Anthony Anderson) is still around, but is he still scamming?


“Barbershop: The Next Cut” is currently in theaters everywhere. Featuring Ice Cube, Cedric the Entertainer, Regina Hall, Eve, Anthony Anderson, J.B. Smoove, Nicki Minaj, Deon Cole and Common. Written by Kenya Barris and Tracy Oliver. Directed by Malcolm D. Lee. Rated “PG-13”

StarContinue reading for Patrick McDonald’s full review of “Barbershop: The Next Cut”

Barbershop Cut
The Cast of ‘Barbershop: The Next Cut’
Photo credit: Warner Bros.

StarContinue reading for Patrick McDonald’s full review of “Barbershop: The Next Cut”

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