Barbershop 2: Back in Business
Barbershop 2: Back in Business is a 2004 American comedy film directed by Kevin Rodney Sullivan, produced by State Street Pictures and released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer on February 6, 2004. A sequel to the 2002 movie Barbershop, also from State Street producing team Robert Teitel and George Tillman, Jr., Barbershop 2 deals with the impact of gentrification on the reputation and livelihood of a long-standing south Chicago barbershop.
Ice Cube, Cedric the Entertainer, Sean Patrick Thomas, Eve, and several other actors reprise their roles from the first Barbershop film. However, a few of the original film's actors such as Tom Wright and Jazsmin Lewis return with smaller roles.
Barbershop 2 also features what is billed as a "special appearance" by Queen Latifah, who starred in a spin-off, Beauty Shop which was released by MGM in early 2005.
Plot
Since the events of the previous film, Calvin Palmer, Jr. (Ice Cube) has finally settled comfortably into his role as the owner of the inner city barbershop founded by his grandfather and father. The shop's latest threat comes from overzealous developer Quentin Leroux (Harry Lennix) who opens a rival barbershop chain across the street, called "Nappy Cutz".
While Calvin attempts to figure out how to deal with the coming threat of direct competition from Quentin's flashy establishment, his barbers have issues of their own. Isaac (Troy Garity), the lone white barber, is now the star of the shop, and begins to feel that he deserves star treatment, feeling neglected by Calvin and the other barbers. Terri (Eve) is finding success in managing her anger, but has trouble dealing with the growing mutual attraction between her and Ricky (Michael Ealy). Dinka (Leonard Earl Howze) is still interested in Terri, but is distraught when he finds out that she loves Ricky instead. Jimmy (Sean Patrick Thomas) has quit the shop to work for the local alderman Lalowe Brown (Robert Wisdom); his replacement, Calvin's cousin Kenard (Kenan Thompson), is fresh out of barber school and horribly inept at cutting hair. Meanwhile, the barbershop and other businesses like it are under threat from gentrification and Calvin is offered a substantial bribe from Brown and Leroux in exchange for his support of the city council's pro-gentrification legislation.
A subplot involves Eddie recalling his time as a young man in the late 1960s, when he first started working at the shop with Calvin's father, including the riots following the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. Also, Eddie remembers his long-lost love (Garcelle Beauvais). This subplot causes Eddie and Calvin to begin bonding. The film also introduces, Calvin's ex-girlfriend Gina (Queen Latifah), who works at the beauty shop next door. The girls at the beauty shop have similar conversations and experiences like the barbers and Gina has a bitter rivalry with Eddie (Cedric the Entertainer).
After attempting to change his own barbershop's style and decor to match those of his rival, Calvin decides to refuse the bribe money and speak out against the neighborhood's gentrification at the local city council meeting. Though Calvin gives a passionate speech about the legislation helping the region to earn money at the cost of its soul and the community, the council still unanimously votes to approve the legislation and move forward with the project. Terri and Ricky accept their love for one another. Dinka loses Terri, but finds love in a stylist at Gina's beauty shop. Though the pro-gentrification project is approved, the community remains loyal to Calvin's barbershop.
Cast
Main
- Ice Cube as Calvin Palmer, Jr., The film's main protagonist. He has learned to appreciate the barbershop and is still taking good care of the barbershop after the events from the first movie. When a rival barbershop opens across the street, he tries to keep the shop up to date to match up with the new shop. Also, he is now the father to a baby boy named Coley.
- Cedric the Entertainer as Eddie, The film's deuteragonist. Compared to the previous film, Eddie has a larger role in the film and is now a major part of the story. This time around, Eddie spends most the film thinking back to the past. Events involving the Martin Luther King assassination and riots, how he first started working at the barbershop, and thinking about a past lover. Over time, he and Calvin begin bonding. Eddie and Gina also have a bitter rivalry.
- Sean Patrick Thomas as Jimmy James, a former barber at the shop and aspiring politic. He now works for Lelo Brown who is working with Quentin Leroux, the owner of the rival barbershop. Jimmy is struggling on two major decisions: doing his job with Lelo or remaining loyal to Calvin and his barbershop.
- Harry J. Lennix as Quentin Leroux, The film's main antagonist. A wealthy businessman and owner of the rival barbershop Nappy Cuts. He is working with the Alderman on getting the neighborhood changed around which causes the community to rally together. Quentin tries to lure in Calvin but Calvin constantly refuses.
- Eve as Terri Jones, Terri is learning how to deal with her anger and stress. She still doesn't like Dinka. She doesn't like the type of women Ricky dates mainly because she thinks they are bad for him and also because she is finding herself falling in love with him.
- Troy Garity as Isaac Rosenberg, Everyone has learned to accept Isaac and he is now the star barber at the shop. All the customers admire him but he feels he is neglected by Calvin and none of the other barbers appreciate him.
- Michael Ealy as Ricky Nash, Ricky is now on the right path in life and is secretly studying for the GEDs. He is having women issues, and this prompts him to start falling in love with Terri.
- Leonard Earl Howze as Dinka, Dinka can't seem to get Terri to like him. He is still friends with Ricky but he is hurt when he discovers Terri loves Ricky instead of him. The ladies at the beauty shop next door adore him because they like how he is a gentleman. There is a beauty stylist at there who has a big crush on him.
Supporting
- Kenan Thompson as Kenard, Calvin's irritating cousin. Kenard is fresh out of barber college and is horrible at cutting hair which is the reason why he has no customers. All the barbers (including Calvin) dislike him.
- DeRay Davis as Rayford, Rayford still comes around the barbershop hustling. Calvin enlists Rayford's help in redesigning and upgrading the barbershop. Rayford gets most the items by stealing them.
- Queen Latifah as Gina, Gina is a stylist at the beauty shop next door. She is Calvin's ex-girlfriend but despite this, they remain good friends. She has a bitter rivalry with Eddie. Also, Gina became the star of her own spin-off film Beauty Shop where Gina moves to Atlanta where her daughter attends a private music school.
- Robert Wisdom as Lalowe Brown, The film's second antagonist. He is working with Quentin and Jimmy on Nappy Cuts and changing the neighborhood. When he does a publicity stunt at Calvin's barbershop and asks Kenard for a haircut (due to Eddie sending him to Kenard), Kenard ruins his hair by mistake and puts a big noticeable patch in his head and in anger he attacks Kenard. He wears a hat from that point on.
Minor
- Jazsmin Lewis as Jennifer Palmer, Calvin's beautiful and supportive wife. She is now the mother to a baby boy named Coley. She was pregnant with him in the previous film. She tries to make sure that Calvin doesn't worry himself too much about Nappy Cuts. She has a smaller role in ths film compared to her larger role in the previous film.
- Tom Wright as Detective Williams, a detective who is friends with Calvin. He catches Calvin and the barbershop crew breaking into Nappy Cuts. He joins the other cops in having fun in the new barbershop. Detective Williams has a very small role in the film compared to his larger role in the previous movie.
- Carl Wright as Checker Fred, an elderly man who is a friend of Eddie and the late Calvin Sr., who still comes to the barbershop every day and plays checkers.
- Garcelle Beauvais-Nilon as Loretta, Eddie's ex-girlfriend and long lost love. She appears mostly in flashbacks as a young woman and two brief appearances as an elder.
- Keke Palmer as a rude little girl who attends the shop's barbecue and is very disrespectful to Eddie. Instead of acting like an adult, Eddie stoops down to her level and this prompts her to run and tell her aunt (which is revealed to be Gina) and causes a roasting match between the two.
Soundtrack
A soundtrack containing hip hop and R&B music was released on February 3, 2004 by Interscope Records. It peaked at #18 on the Billboard 200 and #8 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums.
References
External links
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| 2000s |
- Barbershop 2: Back in Business (2004)
- Guess Who (2005)
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