Barbershop A Fresh Cut review: The third instalment comes a decade after the party, and although hair still need cutting, is there anything left to say?
Barbershop A Fresh Cut review by Luke Ryan Baldock, June 2016.
Barbershop A Fresh Cut review
Back in 2002 a low-key comedy known as Barbershop was a surprise smash. From a budget of $12 million it took in $75 million at the US box office. A 2004 sequel doubled the budget and was still successful with $65 million domestically, while a 2005 spin-off, Beauty Shop kept the second film’s $30 million budget but only made $35 million at home. None of the films have found success abroad though, with only the first film making more than $1 million overseas. Over a decade since its last venture, the Barbershop is back in Barbershop: A Fresh Cut, reuniting many of the original cast while also adding in some newcomers such as Nicki Minaj.
The barbershop franchise has excelled by exploring a microcosm of a specific community/ethnic group, and containing it within an isolated place that represents the community. It’s something that Britain did a decade before with the sitcom Desmonds. However, the late 1980s black community of London was vastly different from the early 2000s black community in Chicago. Issues such as crime, community, and small business versus big business were all tackled making for richer than usual comedies. In the last half a decade, star and producer Ice Cube, has had huge successes such as the 21 Jump Street films and the Ride Along franchise. Does returning to this franchise suggest it has something new in its arsenal to cover?
Barbershop A Fresh Cut review
Happily, or rather sadly, it does. Barbershop: A Fresh Cut looks at gang culture in Chicago in a less than subtle way. Calvin (Cube), continues to run his Barbershop which has now joined forces with a beauty salon, offering up much well paced dialogue in the battle of the sexes. However, as an opening narration explains, Chicago has fallen to bitter rivalries in the street, resulting in Calvin declaring a no gun policy in his shop. As the regular staff and clientele meet and discuss the ways of the world, ways of the past, and everything in between, Calvin’s son Jalen (Michael Rainey Jr.) is slowly seduced by a gang. The tensions encourage Calvin and his shop to negotiate a ceasefire between the gangs.
Barbershop: A Fresh Cut’s biggest plus is its heart. Obviously spurned on by tackling actual issues, the film may be heavy-handed a lot of the time when dealing out messages, golden glowing flashbacks and needlessly placed narration stopping the film in its tracks, but it makes the film more poignant and necessary than many comedy sequels arriving over a decade since their last entry. The cast assembled also have fantastic charisma and chemistry, playing off each other in lengthy dialogue segments that wouldn’t go amiss during a play or stand-up comedy gig. Cedric the Entertainer returns to give some less PC humour as the elder barber who claims to have once been President Obama’s barber, while younger newcomers such as Raja (Utkarsh Ambudkar) and Jerrod (Lamorne Morris) are inserted to give the views of non-black American minorities and young black males who don’t conform to ‘thuglife’ masculine stereotype respectively. As each character has a reason to exist, it makes for a well rounded feature with a lot of discussion.
Barbershop A Fresh Cut review
Despite the serious sounding nature, there is still room for plenty of laugh out loud moments, but the film stutters as it navigates through tone. Some scenes involving the gangs are extraordinarily intense and very uncomfortable. Meanwhile, there’s also an infidelity/temptation subplot involving Rashad (Common), his work focused wife Terri (Eve) and beautician Draya (Minaj). It’s a fine serviceable story which is played out well and gives sweet moments to all, but it is also dwarfed by and is intrusive of the bigger picture.
Malcolm D. Lee’s direction is thankfully unambitious, allowing for the stars to command the screen and their dialogue to keep the pace. Barbershop: A Fresh Cut stands out in the comedic crowd for attempting to tackle pressing social issues while also offering enough laughs and drama for all audiences. Witty, charismatic, and smart, Barbershop: A Fresh Cut may need a few snips and trims in places, but it’s also brave and bold.
Barbershop: A Fresh Cut review by Luke Ryan Baldock, June 2016
Barbershop: A Fresh Cut is released in cinemas from 17th June.
