Barbershop 2: Back in Business

“Barbershop 2: Back in Business,” released in 2004, starts off with a little history. The camera lowers through so many fireworks, lighting up the sky over a street scene with the subtitle “July 5, 1967, Southside Chicago.” An inebriated Uncle Sam walks into an alley, a funny reference to the national celebration, but also a symbol of the national havoc of the time, the dismal divides of class and race, the eruptive doubt between generations. Just then, another person walks into the scene – it’s Eddie, reprised by Cedric the Entertainer, and described by Cynthia Fuchs as “the charismatic, mush-mouthed raconteur whose opinions regarding Rosa Parks ignited minor controversy in 2002.”

Escaping from some police officers, young Eddie walks into the Uncle Sam (Fuchs mentioned, “one more comic-political swipe at the elderly emblem”), then runs into the first open door, Calvin Sr.’s (Javon Johnson) barbershop. When the manager agrees to hide him from his chasers, Eddie later explains to Calvin Jr., reprised by Ice Cube, 35 years later, he feels not only thankful to his new friend, but also like he’s found a “home.”

These first five minutes give Eddie and the barbershop some proper history, of resistance and community. They also make “Barbershop 2” look like it will be different from the first movie, which, thanks to Calvin’s occasional references to his father, is firmly positioned in the present, particularly the man’s personal fight over whether to keep or sell the barbershop that was passed down to him. However, who comes after is not very different from what came before. Calvin will encounter another version of the same problem, and he’ll come to a similarly right choice. In between, he’ll exchange jokes with the same characters and hang out in the same place: the barbershop.

Once again, the main issue is real estate. However the original had Calvin’s personal finances in mayhem, here the problems are more widespread, particularly, the improvement of the neighborhood where his barbershop has been in business for so many years. This year’s problem is introduced by the arrival of a Nappy Cutz franchise across the street, thanks to the Porsche-driving developer Quentin Leroux, played by Harry Lennix. The new barbershop has a nice-looking website advertising milk baths, shiny new appliances, and a basketball hoop. What it doesn’t have, obviously, is a sense of history, loyalty or community.

Fuchs said, “In the moral and social economy assumed by Barbershop, this lack makes Nappy Cutz the enemy.” What’s worse is part of a larger urban development problem, including the mergers of other local dealers and the political and financial progress of the slick Alderman Brown, played by Robert Wisdom. The people who are against the “progress” are firm people citizen Calvin and his barber coworkers – playful Terri (Eve), sweet Rocky (Michael Ealy), friendly “African” Dinka (Leonard Earl Howze), and the barber who is blending, Isaac (Troy Gartiy). Another returning character in here is former barber, now lawyer Jimmy, reprised by Sean Patrick Thomas, now working for Alderman Brown, and increasingly particular about the deals getting made.

Just like previously, the film has small moments to so many interactions: Isaac and Ricky fight, Jimmy and Terri argue, Calvin tries to control the fights (he goes so far as to ban profanity in the barbershop, for a minute, to create a “family” environment, just like how I do on here). Jumping from moment to moment, the movie is observant to local detail (girls jumping rope, people on the street), less concerned with plot. Calvin goes through a series of mostly separate situations during the day, visiting Miss Emma (Jackie Taylor), now in danger of losing her daycare business, caring for his own son, and talking with his noticeably patient wife (Jazsmin Lewis).

On top of that, the movie goes into the shop long enough to let Cedric talk about on President Clinton, Mike Tyson and R. Kelly. Eddie’s story is talk about repeatedly during the film’s flashbacks – he’s in love with a beautiful woman he meets on the subway, played by Garcelle Beauvais-Nilon, he’s all for the Black Panthers (at least until they talk about killing and dying to make a point), he’s a depressed watcher of the riots following Dr. King’s murder – all of that his running jokes is related in experience that’s both nostalgic and reminiscent.

Fuchs said, “While these peeks into Eddie's past grant him specificity, and situate his cynicism in some Forest Gumpian experience (as if to say, "He's been there, so he has the right to speak"), he meets his rival in the present day, in Gina, played by comedian, rapper, television producer and actress, Queen Latifah, who makes a small cameo, to keep saying insults at a barbeque-to-support-the-barbershop. Here they start in front of an excited group, Gina saying Eddie resembles to Shamu, and Eddie saying another woman resembles Chewbacca. Fuchs credited, “It's an old-school throwdown, rowdy, friendly, and good fun.”

Obviously, such moments give both “Barbershop” movies centrally charming, an appreciation of usual and chat, a generosity of spirit. To end off, along with all that comes the opposite spirit, for Queen Latifah has signed on not only to cameo this moment, but also star in her sown spin-off movie, which is titled “Beauty Shop,” featuring Gina and her own team of loquacious beauticians, in a shop next to Calvin’s barbershop. Fuchs ended her review by saying, “Ah well, it's the American Way.”

I know that this movie may not be as good as the first movie, but you should still the movie and give it a chance. It might be the same formula as the first movie, but I still think that it’s really entertaining and has some real legitimate business drama. Definitely see it if you liked the first one.

Do you want to know how “Beauty Shop” is a spin-off? Check in next week for the next installment in “Black History Month Film Reviews.” Also, Monday will be my yearly "Valentine's Day Movie Reviews."