{"id":28939,"date":"2018-09-13T06:20:27","date_gmt":"2018-09-13T10:20:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/cinema-crazed.com\/blog\/?p=28939"},"modified":"2018-09-13T06:20:27","modified_gmt":"2018-09-13T10:20:27","slug":"barbershop-2002-special-edition-blu-ray","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cinema-crazed.com\/blog\/2018\/09\/13\/barbershop-2002-special-edition-blu-ray\/","title":{"rendered":"Barbershop (2002): Special Edition [Blu-Ray]"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Ice Cube spent too much of his earl years as an actor looking for a vehicle that would propel him in to blockbuster status, and he\u2019s had his share of misses. When he committed to simpler more personal movies like \u201cBarbershop,\u201d he really managed to shine. He\u2019s not the best actor in \u201cBarbershop,\u201d but as Calvin Palmer Jr. he\u2019s kind of the glue that keeps his entire crew of barbers together in a neighborhood that\u2019s being consumed by crime, and political corruption. \u201cBarbershop\u201d may not be a masterpiece, but it\u2019s a pleasing and pleasant comedy about the value of community and family.<\/p>\n

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Set in Chicago, \u201cBarbershop\u201d stars Ice Cube as Calvin Parker Jr. a young aspiring musician who inherited his family\u2019s barbershop. Constantly compared to his father, Calvin finds himself struggling with his dad\u2019s legacy as well as the expectations put upon him. With the barbershop not making a lot of money, and incapable of paying for property taxes, Calvin turns to a loan shark to keep him afloat. But he has ulterior motives for the barbershop that might disgrace its legacy. Meanwhile two locals steal an ATM machine from the grocery store across from the barbershop, which might hurt someone working with Calvin.<\/p>\n

The power of \u201cBarbershop\u201d is mainly in the ensemble cast and the very simple direction from Tim Story as well as charming tone that balances comedy and drama well. Among the cast, there\u2019s hip hop star Eve who is quite good as Terri a young woman stuck in a dead end relationship, Troy Garity as Isaac, the only Caucasian in the group constantly ostracized for his lifestyle, Michael Ealy as Ricky a barber with a shady past whose only safe haven is the shop, and of course Cedric the Entertainer. As barbershop elder Eddie, he\u2019s one of the many source of laughs who manages to establish a well formed character who serves a distinct purpose within Calvin\u2019s life. Cedric garners a lot of the funniest moments, including his off the cuff rant (and controversial, garnering a ton of criticism from the media at the time) involving Rosa Parks and Rodney King.<\/p>\n

Eddie is easily the best character of his gaggle of barbers. Director Tim Story taps in to the idea of community and unity in \u201cBarbershop\u201d portraying the neighborhood barbershop as something of a gem for a society that\u2019s slowly been disconnected. Though the sub-plot involving the ATM theft feels disjointed from the rest of the film, it does eventually serve its narrative purpose. It\u2019s just that we spend way too much time on the goofy antics that drive down a relatively engaging human tale. I\u2019m also not a big fan of the fourth wall break mid-way through the movie involving Marvin Gaye\u2019s \u201cGot to Give it Up.\u201d That said, \u201cBarbershop\u201d is a charming drama comedy and character study that, after 9\/11, we very much needed, as it celebrates the idea of community, family, and the value of diversity.<\/p>\n

The extras for the new edition the from MVD Marquee Collection includes \u201cThe Final Cut\u201d a twenty minute EPK with the cast and crew discussing the idea of the barbershop in black culture. \u201cSet, Press, and Style\u201d is a six minute look at the production design, \u201cFinishing Touches\u201d is a look at the hair designs for the various characters, and \u201cHairdos and Don\u2019ts\u201d features interviews with actual barbers and customers. There are a series of deleted scenes, seven total, all with optional commentary from Tim Story, as well as blooper and outtakes. \u201cBarber Banter\u201d featurette is a three minute segment with memories of barbershop experiences. There\u2019s a Behind the Scenes Photo Gallery, and the music video \u201cTrade It All\u201d with Fabolous featuring P. Diddy and Jagged Edge. Finally there\u2019s an audio commentary with Director Tim Story, Producer Robert Teitel, Producer George Tillman, Jr., and Writer Don Scott, Jr.<\/p>\n