Beauty Shop (2005)

Directed by Bille Woodruff. Starring Queen Latifah, Alicia Silverstone, Kevin Bacon, Djimon Hounsou, Keshia Knight Pullam, Andie MacDowell, Alfre Woodard, Adele Givens, Mena Suvari, Bryce Wilson, Sheryl Underwood, Lil’ JJ, Della Reese, Sherri Shepherd, Golden Brooks, Paige Hurd, Jim Holmes. [PG-13]

Latifah’s minor character from Barbershop 2 gets her own spinoff movie as a proud, self-assured stylist sick of being treated badly by her snotty self-promoter boss (Bacon), so she quits and opens her own salon with the usual assortment of eccentrics coming and going just like its adjunct predecessors. A pretty tiresome parade of stereotype jokes, and very few of the characters manage to be amusing and/or appealing instead of aggressively irritating. The star rises above the clanging, hackneyed nature of its ghetto gags; most of the overstuffed supporting cast tries hard (sometimes too hard) to little avail: Bacon’s exaggerated Euro-trash accent inspires cringes chased by groans, Silverstone does an even worse Southern twang, etc. While being affable takes away some of the sting of its groan-worthy lines and deliveries, it’s still an exceedingly listless affair from a director whose extensive background in music videos would have suggested at least a little visual flair. Instantly dated by the fact that the movie opens with Latifah lusting after upstanding citizen Michael Vick. Octavia Spencer makes a brief appearance.

40/100