Calvin Palmer Jr. (Ice Cube) has decided that he has just had enough trying to keep his family barbershop open. It is 2002, and times are tough, and he can't seem to borrow any money to keep the shop going. He has secretly made a deal with a greedy loan shark named Lester Wallace (Keith David) to sell the shop. Lester has promised to keep the shop open, but secretly intends to close the shop and open up a strip club. Prior to this, two wannabe thugs, JD (Anthony Anderson) and his best friend Billy (Lahmard Tate), steal an ATM from a convenience store and they spend all day trying to pry it open. After spending a day at work and realizing just how vital the barbershop is to the surrounding community, Calvin rethinks his decision and tries to get his shop back, only to find out Wallace wants double the $20,000 he paid Calvin to give the shop back, and before 7 P.M. Now Calvin has only a scant few hours to try to raise enough money to save the shop. After he admits to the employees that he sold the barber shop and that it would be closing at the end of the day, Chicago police come in and arrests one of the barbers named Ricky (Michael Ealy). Ricky was arrested after being accused of driving his pickup truck into a nearby market to steal the ATM, but it is revealed that the ATM thief, JD, is Ricky's cousin and he was the one who committed the crime after borrowing Ricky's truck. That was Ricky's third strike, and he could be sentenced to life in prison. Calvin uses the $20,000 from Lester to bail Ricky out of jail. Once Calvin picks Ricky up from the jail, Ricky is angry at his cousin for betraying him and wants to kill him! Calvin tries to calm him down, but Ricky does not show any sign of calming down. Calvin gives Ricky a gun he found that fell out of Ricky's locker at the shop, and is disappointed that Ricky is going to end up right back in jail. Ricky tells Calvin to pull the car over, and he does. Ricky gets out and decides to throw the gun off the bridge they are on and into the water before getting back into the car, proving that he does not want to get in any more trouble with the law. Then they both go to see Lester. Lester, as well as JD and Billy (who were still trying to pry it open) are confronted by Calvin and Ricky. Calvin and Ricky demands Lester to give Calvin his barbershop back. Lester is angered and orders his bodyguard Monk to pull out his gun. The police arrive just in time to save Calvin and Ricky. JD and Billy are arrested. Calvin and Ricky see the ATM, and get a $50,000 reward for returning it to police. They get the money, and the barbershop reopens with even better business than before. In the meantime, Calvin's wife, Jennifer (Jazsmin Lewis), has given birth to a baby boy.Read full review
A day in the life of a barbershop on the south side of Chicago. Calvin, who inherited the struggling business from his deceased father, views the shop as nothing but a burden and waste of his time. After selling the shop to a local loan shark, Calvin slowly begins to see his father's vision and legacy and struggles with the notion that he just sold it out. The barbershop is filled with characters who share their stories, jokes, trials and tribulations. In the shop we find Eddie, an old barber with strong opinions and no customers. Jimmy is a highly educated barber with a superiority complex who can't stand Isaac, the new, white barber who just wants a shot at cutting some hair. Ricky is an ex-con with two strikes against him and is desperately trying to stay straight. Terri is a hard-edged woman who can't seem to leave her two-timing boyfriend. And lastly there's Dinka, a fellow barber who is madly in love with Terri but doesn't get the time of day. The movie is funny and has a satisfying ending.Read full review
This first of series of (arguably) 3 films has a simple appeal. A day in the life, about 24 hours. No special effects or CGI, no fancy camera angles, just raw low-budget writing. I apprecite its rough edges, especially compare to the next 2 in the franchise. Surely not realistic, but looks like they had fun making the film. It's on my list of favorites and decided to buy the DVD version to update my video library.
Clean comedy about adversity and challenges African American men and women face when building a future for their families. It demonstrates strength, integrity, and love. Great movie.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
Ice Cube is proving to be a talented movie actor, director, producer, whatever, whatever! Here he plays it straight allowing for this ensemble to pull of the bigger stunts. I have to admit it, Anthony Anderson and Lamar Tate's subplot of a stolen ATM is actually the funniest thing here. Overall fans of 'FRiday' will find 'Barbershop' at tad slow, sappy and without nearly the same replay value. But Cedric the Entertainer's turn as a cranky ol' barber is enough glue to keep this picture together and how could you hate on anything shot on the 'south side of Chicago'. -seezinhai
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