From the producers of Barbershop and Bringing Down the House, Beauty Shop transports the ethos of the "ghetto" Barbershop to a women's salon. The parallels (and repetition of jokes) between the two films are hard to miss, from Latifah replicating Ice Cube's character as a new barbershop owner to Kevin Bacon's role as the jealous salon owner that seems similar to Loan Shark Lester's character in Barbershop.
The film features Bacon speaking with a "Hanz and Franz" German accent and the beloved Alicia Silverstone sporting an overdone Southern drawl. Silverstone plays the sole white beauty practitioner in a predominantly African-American salon. Sadly, these talented actors lack opportunities to display their skills. When watching the film, it becomes obvious that this is Queen Latifah's show.
If cliches are your joy, Beauty Shop takes the cake. With lots of racial humor that could be deemed offensive, the movie is unilikely to appeal to non-African-American audiences. Furthermore, Beauty Shop lacks hilarious scenes, such as Barbershop's stolen ATM bit.
Essentially, if you loved Barbershop then you will love Beauty Shop. If Barbershop wasn't your thing, pass on Latifah's ass.
