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The crew at Calvin's Barber Shop has returned. When we last visited the barber shop on Chicago's 79th Street, Calvin had inherited the shop from his father but wasn't sure he wanted to carry on the family business. After a whirlwind day in which Calvin sold the barbershop to a local loan shark and then got it back, Calvin decided to keep the neighborhood institution going, which came as a relief to both the barbers and audiences hoping for a sequel. As you might remember, I was one of those looking forward to part two, and I'm happy to say Barbershop 2: Back in Business does not disappoint.

Calvin (Ice Cube) has returned to cutting hair and managing the shop. The problem this time around is the slow onset of gentrification in the neighborhood. Kinkos and Starbucks are supposedly on their way, as is a mega hair salon across the street called Nappy Cutz. Now we'll ignore the fact that an establishment with such a name wouldn't last long on Chicago's south side. The problem for Calvin is that the sleek new store represents a real threat to his business. Will his customers continue to come when they can go to a salon that has an indoor basketball court?

One of the things I like about the Barbershop franchise is how it focuses on the little aspects of life. Calvin isn't trying to save the world; he's just trying to carve out a place for him, his wife, and his new baby. He has decisions to make--does he sell the shop while he still can get some money for it? does he try to ride out the competition? does he do something a little disreputable so he can get in good with the local alderman? These are real questions, and the film treats them as worthy of portrayal.

Eddie (Cedric the Entertainer) is also back, and Back in Business spends some time filling in his story. How did he come to work at the shop? Why is he the way he is? This leads to a series of unobtrusive flashbacks to 1967-68. Again, the writing of Don D. Scott is naturalistic and compelling.

The Chicago feel is also a welcome touch, especially the scenes that take place at various el stations. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said of a scene that takes place on an actual el train, where Eddie taunts a white man with tales of farting. That's Barbershop's only egregious mistake, though. The rest of the film finds its humor in life situations and, more importantly, the relationships that revolve around the barber shop.

All the old cast has returned, including Ricky (Michael Ealy) the ex-con, Terri (Eve) the one female barber; and Dinka (Leonard Earl Howze) the Nigerian immigrant. Jimmy (Sean Patrick Thomas) has left the barbershop to take a job as an alderman's assistant, though he still comes back to the shop to get a trim now and then. His replacement, Kenard, is played by young comic Kenan Thompson, who has the fortune of getting the movie's biggest laugh when he tries to cut the alderman's hair. Making fun of politicians never goes out of style.

Even the minor characters from the first movie have returned: the various regulars who come in for a hair cut, the various old-timers who sit in the shop playing checkers and listening to Eddie's riffs, and the local business owners with whom Calvin interacts. And then there's Gina (Queen Latifah), who works in the nearby beauty parlor. Queen Latifah is here mostly to plug her upcoming movie Beauty Shop, but that doesn't mean her character is superfluous. Rather, she provides an interesting part of Calvin's backstory and is part of a funny showdown with Eddie.

The problem with Barbershop 2 is that there are so many interesting characters that the film doesn't have enough time to spend with any of them in particular. So we see Dinka's budding romance, Jimmy's new job at the alderman's office, and Terri's attempt to manage her anger, but only briefly. I wish Barbershop was a tv show, and we could watch these characters grow and develop week by week. Of course, then the plots would have to fit into a 23-minute time frame with predictable storylines and humor based on put-downs. No, I guess I don't want that, but I do wish I didn't have to wait another 18 months to find out what happens to the crew on 79th Street.  

J. Robert Parks  2/10/2004

The gang from Barbershop is back -- this time, faced with losing their shop and neighborhood to the greed of land developers.

Shop owner Calvin Palmer (Ice Cube) runs the popular shop and dreams of providing a good life for his wife and infant son. The staff of the shop spends the day sharing gossip and styles with the customers and dealing with the latest conspiracy theories of Eddie (Cedric the Entertainer), who never seems to run out of opinions on whatever topic is being discussed.

The jovial nature of the shop is disrupted when it is learned that a slick styling chain is opening in a few weeks across from the shop. To further complicate matters, the people behind the new salon are making offers to purchase the local businesses, and pressure is being put on Calvin to sell to raise the price of the offer.

Not one to give up without a fight, Calvin and the staff set out to make the shop even more professional and fan-oriented, thus setting off a series of funny and touching moments as the staff learns to be true to themselves and to stand up for what they believe in.

While the story is not the most in depth, Barbershop 2 is a pleasant and enjoyable film that will delight fans of the first movie. I was happy to see the addition of Queen Latifah to the cast, as she enlivens the film whenever she is on the screen. The staff is solid, and I, for one, liked the fact that the film-makers portrayed inner city life in a positive outlook that was devoid of many negative images.

My advice? Get a seat in the Barbershop 2 chair and prepare to laugh.

Gareth Von Kallenbach  February 10, 2004