When a movie is
well-received (according to Rotten Tomatoes) and garners good reviews, we have
to see it ourselves to either agree or strongly disagree.
Barbershop: The
Next Cut is a good movie, but not as great or awesome as the reviews
suggest. Maybe I feel this way because I’m not American. That said, it’s
definitely better than its predecessor, Barbershop
2: Back in Business (2004).
The script is
well thought out, incorporating current trending news about violence against
Black communities and making jokes about the state of things. As a
non-American, I had to catch up on some of the incidents being discussed. So,
the movie may hit home for black Americans, but for me it was more of a miss.
Even though I
wasn’t fully in sync with the movie’s material—which isn’t the fault of the
writers or producers—I still found it interesting and funny, even if some of
the jokes or discussions went over my head.
One of the
biggest issues addressed in this film is our tendency to blame the government
for everything. We keep hoping that the current administration will bring about
the change we desire, but in the movie, the barbershop crew decides to take
matters into their own hands. They try to curb the black-on-black violence in
their neighborhood by approaching the two gang leaders and negotiating a
48-hour ceasefire.
The movie’s plot
starts with Calvin (Ice Cube) catching us up on what’s been happening in his
life and community. To cope with the economic downturn, he merges his
barbershop with a beauty salon.
Calvin’s son is
now grown and faces the dilemma of whether to join a gang or not. Meanwhile,
the men and women in the shop brainstorm ways to improve their society, turning
the barbershop into a safe haven where gang members can coexist without
fighting.
The movie
features cameos from actors who played barbers in the previous Barbershop films,
and seeing them again was a treat. As for the cast, Ice Cube’s performance
stands out, though his co-stars also deserve recognition for their awesome
performances—even Nicki Minaj.
The movie is a
critical success, but as I mentioned, some of the issues and jokes are very
specific to American audiences. Because of this, I don’t expect it to be a
worldwide hit, but it should do very well domestically.
With all that
said, I cannot write off the chances that another movie will be done.
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