Oh boy, we’ve got a montage of grinning stars in this trailer, which means ensemble fun! A litany of familiar faces has always been a selling point for the Barbershop series, and since ten years has passed since the last entry, there’s been a big cast shake-up. Most notable is the steep increase in female roles, with the series welcoming Nicki Minaj, Tia Mowry, and Regina Hall into the shop.
While the third entry is clearly sticking close to the pointed banter that the series has always delivered, it seems like the right time to be bringing this sort of thing back. It’s no secret that Americans have been discussing our culture’s race issues more openly of late, but it’s important to remember that Twitter hashtags don’t really do much. The Next Cut looks like it’ll be taking some direct shots at treating important cultural movements as social media fodder, and that’s a road we’re all in danger of going down.
Perhaps this film will take the next step and remind us, as Robert Kennedy Jr. did, that what we’re search for is compassion and justice for everyone, not just some hip selfie. A pointed comedy might help get that message out to the masses.
Barbershop: The Next Cut is directed by Malcolm D. Lee and stars Ice Cube and Cedric the Entertainer. It will be released in the U.S. on April 15th, 2016 and the U.K. on April 19th, 2016. International release dates can be found here.
Do you think the film just wants to be a fun comedy or do you think it’s got more on its mind? Let us know in the comments!
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