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Review Uploaded
09/30/02

1 hr. 42 mins.
Starring: Ice Cube, Anthony Anderson, Sean Patrick Thomas, Michael Ealy, Eve, Troy Garity, Cedric the Entertainer, Keith David, Lahmard Tate, Leonard Earl Howze
Directed by: Tim Story

Frank's film tip: Hair-raising nonsense can't save this "Barbershop" from closing in Tim Story's urban comedy ode to the farcical blaxploitation flicks of yesteryear

There’s going to be an immediate appeal to music video-turned-feature film director Tim Story’s horrendous funky follicles-based debut comedy Barbershop, particularly to those in the urban set who’ll probably embrace this embarrassing hair-raising hoot. Although Barbershop boasts some of today’s hottest and hippest acts from the world of television, music and stand-up comedy, this movie strangely enough has the outdated swagger of a shameless ‘70s blaxploitation shuck-and-jive sitcom. Tediously conceived thanks to a lethargic script (courtesy of Mark Brown, Don D. Scott and Marshall Todd) aided by woefully spontaneous acting and a needless array of stereotypical caricatures parading about. Consequently, Barbershop is a loud and numbing inner city farce that needs to shave the monotonous foolishness being perpetrated let alone the noggins being featured in this hyped-up and aimless spectacle.

The manufactured hilarity ensues when Chicago-based Calvin (Ice Cube) inherits a stillborn neighborhood barbershop from his father. Apparently this quaint little business means a whole lot to the community since it’s the center of the social scene. However, as far as being a moneymaking enterprise is concerned, the barbershop has as much buzz as a defective hair clipper. Calvin, who has other ambitions in mind, doesn’t want to be saddled with this financially failing pain-in-the-neck piece of property. The pressure is on and the bank wants its cash if this place is to stay afloat. Still, the guy realizes how much the barbershop means to the local area and wants to make some sort of arrangement in order to satisfy the interests of his personal finances while trying to breathe life into this sinking venue for the sake of the community.

Well, evidently desperate times call for desperate measures as Calvin enlists the assistance of a loan shark named Lester (Keith David, "Requiem for a Dream"). The plan requires selling the barbershop to Lester with the guaranteed promise that the little institution retains its "Barbershop" moniker. Well, the sleazy Lester has a different agenda and sort of sticks to his bargain with Calvin—the place will be known as Barbershop although the concept of cutting hair will be dismissed. Instead, Lester wants to christen this place as a strip club where the only trimming that’s desired will be seeing how much skimpy a curvy exotic dancer’s G-string can be! Feeling guilty about selling out to the riff raffish Lester based on his misguided plans, Calvin schemes to save the day by figuring out a way in reclaiming the barbershop for the South Side of the city to appreciate once again.

In the meanwhile, the movie drifts off into some comical comatose subplot concerning a stolen ATM machine as a desperate way of generating more misguided chuckles based on the snappy interaction of the one-note, pumped-up protagonists. The performances are straining and laughable to say the least. Why a dynamic presence such as the forceful Ice Cube or the joyously devilish Cedric the Entertainer (who also currently toils in the insipid comedy Serving Sara) decided to be part of this demoralizing dud is truly beyond anyone’s comprehension. Tell me if the following sketchy mentioned comedic devices aren’t tired and predictable prototypical samples of urbanized black laughter? Let’s see…how about shedding some light on sassy "sistas" with big mouths to match the constant chip on their shoulders? Or clueless overweight "brothas" to snicker at for more assured comic relief? And the token hip "white guy" as the automatic sight gag? How about the flashy thug one step away from heading behind bars? If this turgid showcase doesn’t stress the point of Robert Townsend’s 1987 satirical piece The Hollywood Shuffle then nothing will, right?

Barbershop wants to recall the nostalgic madcap antics that were so prevalent in a handful of seventies cinema with riotous crowd-pleasing black flicks. Ethnic fare such as Car Wash, When Cotton Comes to Harlem, and Uptown Saturday Night were infectious because of their irreverent charm that reflected an entertainingly flippant and audacious attitude in an awakening era of emerging, off-kilter black cinema. But Barbershop never offers anything original or distinctive in its overactive and stale presentation. If anything, the movie comes off as an insulting and boisterous bore. What the film lacks is an easy-flowing cleverness and wicked insight about its racial humor. Basically, all Story’s direction provides are cliched’ circumstances where these degrading dunderheads get to banter and mug their way through asinine situations that a short-lived situation comedy like That’s My Mama provided with better efficiency. From the shoddy writing to the cheap-looking production set designs for which most of the incessant high-strung vignettes take place, Barbershop is about as relevant and intoxicating as doing The Hustle to an old Soul Train episode.

Frank rates this film: * 1/2 stars (out of 4 stars)