I really enjoyed the original Barbershop movie. It had a funny plot the mixed the struggles of business with the struggles of life. It was smart and original for the most part.
Barbershop 2, on the other hand, seems to have felt the need to play too much to the unexpected politics of the first film. Cedric the Entertainer offended Mrs Rosa Parks in the orginal and that became what the film was known for more than a simple sweet story about running a long standing business.
The crew returns intact with Ice Cube leading the pack once again as Calvin Palmer. Although Calvin remains one of the focuses of the film, the real star here is Cedric in the role of Eddie. In fact the film starts off showing a younger Eddie and the film shows clips of the past throughout until we finally learn why. The other barbers return for another round of bickering.
Missing is the comic relief the two dumb crooks provided in the first film. It's replaced by a dry story involving a national haircut chain called "Nappy Cuts" moving right across the street and the potential threat it poses to Calvin's small business. A city councilman provides the middleground between big business and small business trying to play both sides.
Once again we cheer on Calvin as he tries to do the right thing. Probably the highlight of the film is a five minute exchange between Eddie and Queen Latifah's character. Barbershop was original and fresh while the sequel is like many sequels, close but no cigar.
The Disc:
The special edition of Barbershop 2 Back in Business is presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen which looks just as fabulous as the orginal. Sound on the disc is pretty standard stuff for a comedy and makes decent use of home theater systems.
The Special Edition disc begins with a couple of screen-specific commentaries. The first is a video track with stars Cedric the Entertainer, Sean Patrick Thomas, Troy Garity and Jazsmin Lewis giving their take on the sequel.
The second is a more traditional audio chat with director Kevin Rodney Sullivan and producers Robert Teitel and George Tillman. Both have their merits for listener but with Ice Cube's less on screen time and lack of participation here makes me wonder what happened.
Next up are Two music videos, "Not Today" by Mary J. Blige and Sleepy Brown's "I Can't Wait. I wonder why Eve or Queen Latifah didn't get in on the action here. Regardless fans of the songs will enjoy these vivid videos.
Deleted Scenes are next offering a look at what was cut from the theatrical release. This is in addition to a Gag Reel that shows off the goofs the cast made.
Finally there's a short still gallery with 35 photos divided into "Cast" and "On Set" sections.
bottom line:
An enjoyable film with a good lesson in life but lacking the charm and humor of the first. Still worth watching once, especially if you were a fan of the original.
3 out of 5
By - Brian Gray
