Barbershop: The Next Cut

It's been about a dozen years since we last visited Calvin's Barbershop on Chicago's South Side. Calvin Palmer (Ice Cube) and his longtime cohorts, including Eddie (Cedric the Entertainer) and Terri (Eve), are still hard at work, but there have been some major additions, including Calvin's teenage son Jalen (Michael Rainey Jr.), Calvin's best friend Rashad (Common), dorky Jerrod (Lamorne Morris), son-of-Indian-immigrants Raja (Utkarsh Ambudkar), enterprising One-Stop (J.B. Smoove), and outspoken Dante (Deon Cole). Most notable, however, is that the male bastion has gone co-ed. The ladies' salon is managed by Angie (Regina Hall), who is joined by savvy Bree (Margot Bingham) and saucy Draya (Nicki Minaj), the latter's buttocks apparently a fascinating target for cinematographer Greg Gardiner. Functioning as the community's social meeting-place, the barbershop/salon is where the timely issue of senseless, gang-affiliated neighborhood shootings is thrashed out. With the urgent threat of an ominous “enclosure” soon to be voted on by the city council, the crew decides to promote a 48-hour cease-fire—offering free haircuts, weaves, and styling for the weekend. On the lighter side, there's the inevitable war-of-the-sexes, with predictable gossip, squabbling about infidelity, and riffing on gender stereotypes. Directed by Malcolm D. Lee, this third installment in the long-running franchise is a strong optional purchase. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include deleted scenes with director Malcolm D. Lee (13 min.), a behind-the-scenes “Barbershop Bootcamp” (5 min.), and a gag reel (3 min.). Bottom line: a decent extras package for an often engaging franchise entry.] (S. Granger)