goolizap There are a lot of experiences that young men should have growing up. Being exposed to the barbershop culture is one of them. I loved going to get my haircut when I was a teenager. Not just because I felt rejuvenated with my fresh cut, but because I enjoyed the banter, the stories, and even the superfluous arguments. It's something I still look forward to when I go get a trim. And it's captured perfectly in this 2002 Ice Cube comedy.The story isn't anything too intricate. It surrounds Cube's character, Calvin, trying to decide whether or not he should sell the barbershop passed on to him by his late father. But most of the film is spent filling us in on the happenings of the employees and patrons of the shop, and their own stories. By far the most interesting part, we get a great sense of who these people are and what makes them tick. We feel like we're right there in the shop with them.It has its fair share of broad comedy, but there aren't a lot of moments of subtle humor. Which is okay, since it does the former so well. While it's rarely hysterical, you can definitely appreciate the repartee. In fact, most of the highlights don't come from the barbershop at all, but from Anthony Anderson and Lahmard Tate's characters stealing and attempting to open an ATM machine. This subplot goes on throughout the entire film. With an impressive cast and an even more impressive Ice Cube, the beauty of this film is in its characters. They're not all likable, but you get to know them well enough to understand them. It's deceptively deep.Ultimately, Barbershop turns a very simple premise into something much bigger and more meaningful. And it does it without ever feeling like it's being stretched too thin. Although it's not perfect, it's perhaps one of the most accurate portrayals of a culture so beloved by American males. Twizard Rating: 84

tieman64 Part Michael Shultz's "Car Wash", part Kevin Smith's "Clerks", part Robert Altman's "Five and Dime", Tim Story's "Barbershop" is an intermittently interesting comedy revolving around a band of African Americans who gather at a South Chicago barbershop to work, chat, hangout and gossip.Forget the film's tired plot; that's just there to hold things together. All that matters in a film like this is that the characters we're forced to hang out with are a likable bunch, and along these lines the film works well. There's barbershop owner Calvin (Ice Cube), local gangster Lester, and Eddie, a funny old timer played by Cedric the Entertainer. The rest of the cast are a colourful assortment of West African poets, small time crooks, no-good boyfriends, racially insecure white boys and East Indian shop owners. Like the aforementioned films, this loosely structured comedy is less about plot than it is about lazily hanging out with a jovial ensemble cast. Cedric the Entertainer steals the show as an opinionated black man who bashes everyone from Rodney King to Rosa Parks.7.9/10 – Worth one viewing.

Jackson Booth-Millard I don't get to see a nearly all black actor filled film, and this one wasn't too bad, from director Tim Story (Fantastic Four). Basically it is a day in the life of a barbershop on the south side of Chicago. Calvin Palmer (Ice Cube) inherited the struggling business from his deceased father, and with an ambition to do other things, he sells it local loan shark Lester Wallace (Keith David). Slowly though he realises his mistake, and Wallace instead of taking back his money wants double, so Calvin is pretty sure his barbershop will have to close its doors. He can either convince Wallace to forget the debt, or raise it, Eddie (Cedric the Entertainer) who has been there since it opened is determined Calvin can#t and won't sell it. There is also a slapstick filled subplot where J.D. (Anthony Anderson) has stolen a cash dispenser and is trying to find a good place to hide it, and before the end it ends up at the barbershop, where Calvin can collect a reward for returning it. Also starring Sean Patrick Thomas as Jimmy James, Eve as Terri Jones, Troy Garity as Isaac Rosenberg, Michael Ealy as Ricky Nash and Leonard Earl Howze as Dinka. The film is filled with black stereotypes, and there are moments where you really have to listen to understand what they are saying, but it amusing. Worth watching!

vchimpanzee While this was supposed to be about Calvin's barber shop, I enjoyed the misadventures of J. D. and Billy and the stolen ATM, which became relevant only toward the end of the movie. As for what took place in the barber shop itself, I enjoyed those scenes only part of the time.I thought Cedric the Entertainer did a great job, not only with comic lines but also in a couple of dramatic scenes. Of course some of what he said was offensive, but it was probably realistic. I say 'probably' since I'm white and don't really know the culture.One well-done scene involved Isaac, the one white barber, and one of the black barbers who had a racist attitude. And another one of the best scenes involved an angry woman, a baseball bat, and a car.I liked Dinka, who was from Africa. How could anyone not like him? Well, apparently in black culture, in addition to light-skinned blacks being prejudiced against dark-skinned and vice versa, there are some American blacks who are prejudiced against African immigrants. At least that was the case in this movie. Some really harsh comments.Ice Cube did a good job. I think most of the actors did. There were some characters I didn't like and that may have clouded my opinion of the acting performances, but overall a lot of talent was shown here.