Barbershop: The Next Cut Blu-ray Review

By: Lynn Barker

In Barbershop: The Next Cut, Calvin (Ice Cube) is still running his shop ten years later with a women’s style salon being added. The barbers, stylists and their clients don’t always get along but it’s better than the hate and gang violence going on outside. Can our friendly shop workers help those that be hatin’?

Ice Cube as Calvin tries to reason with son JalenCourtesy of Warner Bros. Entertainment

Shop Update

After ten years Calvin and Eddie (Cedric the Entertainer) are still at Calvin’s shop. Calvin’s married with now teen son Jalen (Michael Rainey Jr.). Terri (Eve) is still there married to Rashad (Common). New crew nerdy Jerrod (Lamorne Morris), East Indian barber Raja (Utkarsh Ambudkar) and big mouth Dante (Deon Cole) cut hair. Sell ‘um anything One Stop (J.B. Smoove) drops in.

New barbers Jerrod and Raja cut hairCourtesy of Warner Bros. Entertainment

On the ladies’ side Angie (Regina Hall) is co-owner and tries to keep a lid on flirty, sexy Draya (Nicki Minaj) and listen to soulful Bree (Margot Bingham). There is a lot of often funny boy/girl debate going on.

Regina Hall and the salon side girlsCourtesy of Warner Bros. Entertainment

Gang Violence in the Hood

Unfortunately the neighborhood has gone down in ten years but Calvin, who has thought about moving the shop to the north side, has hung in.  His wife Jennifer (Jazsmin Lewis) is considering the move for Jalen's sake. Sweet part-timer high school student Anthony (Torion Sellers) pops in and out to work and Jalen is hanging out with BFF Kenny. Both boys are slowly leaning toward joining a gang. Calvin catches Kenny stealing Snickers bars from the shop.

Jaylen (right) and buddy Kenny try to have a normal day outCourtesy of Warner Bros. Entertainment

Join up or Else

Outside, we meet the equivalent of the Crips or Bloods of that area who try to steal the two teens’ shoes but their leader Yummy (Tyga) backs off when he thinks they will join up. Inside, the men and women discuss the fact that men put down Hoes and women getting everything “fixed” but they then go for those women. The ladies hate that double standard. Racism also comes up with the only non-Black Raja giving his opinion and Calvin saying that having a Black President hasn’t stopped the murders of Black youths.

J.D. (Anthony Anderson) brings lunch to Eddie and gangCourtesy of Warner Bros. Entertainment

Tension in the Shop and School

Hate comes home when long-time clients Jay (Renell Gibbs) and Marquis (Jamal Woolard) are accidently booked for cuts at the same time. They are leaders of rival gangs. They almost throw down until Calvin and Rashad stop them. Jalen and Kenny are in trouble for fighting at school and Calvin considers putting Jalen in Catholic school. Jennifer finds gang stuff in Jalen’s bedroom drawer.

Nicki and Eve, as their characters, argueCourtesy of Warner Bros. Entertainment

The Enclosure

When the group finds out that politicians are thinking of building an enclosure around the neighborhood, really to keep the violence from spreading, they decide to do something against it. Maybe they can get the two lead gangs to have a cease-fire for 48 hours if they give free haircuts and styles to anybody coming in. Meanwhile there is love triangle drama between Rashad, wife Terri and Draya who is making the moves on Rashad.

Rashad (Common) and Terri (Eve) are having marriage dramaCourtesy of Warner Bros. Entertainment

Cease Fire

Will the cease fire work? Will the event get some media attention? Will young Jaylen join a gang or reject the violence? Will Rashad, Terri and Draya get their love lives straightened out?

Special Extra Features

• The Next Cut: Barbershop Bootcamp is a funny look at the actors learning how to really cut hair..some better than others. Cute
• Deleted Scenes with Malcolm D. Lee – features the director introducing several very funny scenes that just got cut for lack of time. Worth a watch.
• Gag Reel – are the outtakes. Again watching actors ad-lib or mess up is always funny.

Draya (Nicki Minaj) and the girls argue with the guysCourtesy of Warner Bros. Entertainment

Wrapping Up

If you love some of these actor/performers and especially if you missed the film in theaters, this Blu-ray is for you. The movie does a nice job of combining humor with some very serious commentary on inner-city violence whether Black on Black gangsta-style or just in general. The fact that the violent lifestyle effects innocent kids is driven home but also stressed is community pride, family values and personal responsibility. Maybe if people get together more and stand up, something positive can happen that can have a good domino effect.

Eddie is still in the houseCourtesy of Warner Bros. Entertainment

We didn’t really need the love triangle sidebar story about Rashad, Terri and Draya but it gives popular actor/performers Common, Eve and Nicki Minaj something to do. Funny exchanges between some of the newer cast members are a refreshing departure from the serious violence going down around and almost in the shop.

Extras are sparse but fun to watch. We go four stars on this Blu-ray.

Barbershop: The Next Cut Blu-ray Rating:

Barbershop: The Next Cut Blu-ray CoverCourtesy of Warner Bros. Entertainment

Barbershop: The Next Cut is now available on Blu-ray & DVD!

Have Your Say

Have you been personally effected by gang violence? Do you just want to lighten up and enjoy the Barbershop humor? Get talking below.