Studio: MVD Visual
Release Date: February 6th, 2004 (theatrical) / September 11th, 2018 (blu-ray)
Run Time: 106 mins
Region Code: REGION A (locked)
Picture 1080p (1.85:1 Aspect Ratio)
Sound: English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio
Starring: Ice Cube, Cedric the Entertainer, Eve, Troy Garity
Written by Don D. Scott
Directed by Kevin Rodney Sullivan
Rating: PG-13 (language, sexual material and brief drug references)
THE FILM ⭐1/2
Calvin's shop is again threatened by the greedy developer, but this time the threat is a mega-franchise barbershop opening right across the street. As Calvin does what he can to counter this threat, life goes on in the barbershop, with more of the same tart dialogue and life complications as in the original.
Barbershop 2 is everything that people feared the first Barbershop would be. While many of the barbershop scenes are still on point, the film suffers from more needless plot diversions, characters that are nothing more fodder for the film to pick on, and some of the most annoying “character arcs” I have seen in a long time. There is a white barber character, who is from the first film. He is the “star” of the barbershop now because he is good with a pair of clippers. This being a star gets to his head and he questions Ice Cube’s character all the time about why he is treated the same as everyone else even when he brings in the most business. We have seen this arc time and time again and it is tiring. I am sure that the writer of the film thought he was adding something new to the film, but it just bogs the film down in needless scenes of him arguing with everyone about how he’s the best. Who cares? I know that I sure didn’t. Barbershop 2 is filled with shit like this and it is annoying. The characters are there, but all of the wit and simpleness of the first film is gone, only to be replaced with the need for more money. That is all this film is: a way for the studio and bigwigs involved to get money. Skip Barbershop 2 and rewatch the first film.
THE PICTURE ⭐⭐⭐
Barbershop 2 sports a very similar transfer as the first film does on blu-ray. This film had a much bigger budget to work with, as well as a better director, which means the film looks better. There is a lot more color which looks very nice here. Detail again can be high at times, although there are a few times when detail drops down pretty far. These occurrences are few and far between, but they do happen.
THE SOUND ⭐⭐⭐
Like the first Barbershop, Barbershop 2 is presented in an English DTS-HD track in the 5.1 variety. Everything sounds good with nothing really getting lost in the shuffle. Not much use of the surrounds, but this isn’t the type of film that needs it. The track gets the job done.
THE FEATURES ⭐⭐
Video Commentary featuring Cedric the Entertainer, Sean Patrick Thomas, Troy Garity, and Jazsmin Lewis (1h 45m, SD)
Deleted Scenes
- Calvin and Family (18s intro) (2m 50s, SD)
- Japanese Cookbook (23s intro) (48s, SD)
- Quentin at the BBQ (57s intro) (1m 35s, SD)
- Eddie vs Kenard (1m 15s intro) (1m 37s, SD)
- Calvin Ponders (12s intro) (51s, SD)
- Tai Chi (10s intro) (50s, SD)
All of the deleted scenes can be viewed with or without option director commentary.
Outtakes (6m 22s, SD)
Music Video: “Not Today” Mary J. Blige featuring Eve (7m 27s, SD, 1.33:1)
Music Video: “I Can’t Wait” Sleepy Brown featuring OutKast (5m 10s, SD)
Behind the Scenes Photo Gallery (36m 6s, SD) You read that right! This gallery does last for 36 minutes. This feature was encoded wrong as there are only ten pictures with each lasting about 3 and a half minutes. It is really weird to sit through even the first couple of minutes. I thought that the feature was broken.
Audio Commentary with director Kevin Sullivan and producers Bob Teitel and George Tillman Jr.
Audio Commentary with Cedric the Entertainer, Sean Patrick Thomas, Troy Garity, and Jazsmin Lewis. This is the same commentary track from the above mentioned Cast Video Commentary minus the video aspect.
OVERALL ⭐⭐1/2
Barbershop 2 is not a good film. The few good barbershop scenes that we do get almost get lost in the sea of scenes and characters that we don’t need and don’t want. This is not the film that fans of the original wanted and the box office proved this. The film opened bigger than the first film but fell hard after that.
The blu-ray, from MVD Visual, is good. The picture and sound both get the job done and special features are nice, if forgettable. If you love the original and you have to have this on blu-ray then you can’t go wrong with this release. The blu-ray is so much better than the film could ever be.
MORE SCREENSHOTS
 Blu-ray Review + Screenshots){kind=link}
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