Extremely successful, although criticized within the African American community, “BARBERSHOP” has been released as a “Special Edition” from MGM. 

Ice Cube stars as Calvin, the owner of a barbershop, passed down from his father to him in Chicago.  The “BARBERSHOP” of the film is the community meeting ground for the neighborhood.  It is here that young and old come to meet, argue, laugh, and reminisce about important events in their lives.   The sense of community is strong in this film, and most of the characters are well defined. It’s surprising that there was so much criticism from some “representatives” of the African American community, over a film wherein many of the characters are actually portrayed in a positive light!  The film’s main character, Calvin, is a truly moral, likeable guy!  He works hard to provide a service that benefits his community, and he never takes it for granted.  In fact, it’s partially due to his big heart that he feels guilty about his dreams of leaving the ghetto to provide a better life for his pregnant wife and himself.  There’s a wide variety of characters working in the barbershop, and “Cedric the Entertainer” stands out as Eddie, the witty barber eschewing out nostalgic sentiments beneath his frequent barbs. His fellow barbers offer even more entertainment to the film, displaying a wide degree of diversity within the community, and blasting away long held stereotypes.

While the majority of the film is character-driven, within the barbershop, a subplot involving two idiots who’ve stolen an ATM machine, exists, and is also quite amusing. 

MGM has presented the film with its proper 1.85:1 aspect ratio and 16:9 enhancement.  The picture, while adequate, is nothing to rave about .Colors are decent, and never oversaturated. There’s also some artifacting and excessive grain in spots.  Contrast is fine, although blacks and grays aren’t deep enough to provide great clarity in darker scenes. 

MGM has provided a Dolby Digital 5.1 mix which is fine, but non-aggressive.  Being that the film is virtually entirely dialogue-driven, the lack of surround involvement isn’t a big deal.  Dialogue is always intelligible and free from distortion.  There are a limited number of ambient effects, and the front soundstage has a moderate share of directional effects in a few key sequences.
 

MGM has provided some worthwhile supplements for this “Special Edition.” 

An audio commentary with the film’s director, writers and producer, is included.  It offers a surprising amount of detail pertaining to the film’s production as well as some genuinely funny banter. 

Several featurettes are also offered. "THE FINAL CUT” is a fairly lengthy featurette offering numerous interviews.  “SET, PRESS AND STYLE” is a much shorter segment, exploring in limited detail, the film’s production design. "FINISH TOUCHES” gives a brief overview of the film’s makeup and costumes.  “HAIRDOS AND DON’TS” is a short and funny look at hairstyles and cuts from the film. 

A “DELETED SCENES” segment offers six deleted scenes, with the option of director’s commentary. They don’t offer enough in substance to merit their inclusion.  The quality of their image is mediocre, appearing murkier than the rest of the film.  There are some great bloopers and outtakes, as well as a trivia game of sorts related to the film, titled “BARBER SCHOOL.” A music video featuring P. Diddy has also been included. There are even more supplements to make this a worthwhile addition to anyone’s collection.