New 'Barbershop' Film Delivers Hope with Hefty Dose of Laughter

"The Barbershop" is back in business with a new movie in theaters this weekend. "Barbershop: The Next Cut" is the third film in the series and it's set in Chicago.
    
The Windy City is facing a crisis of violence in real life, and the film's director, Malcolm D. Lee, leads the cast with a script that addresses the issue with a dose of laughter – and a message of hope.

"I wanted to make sure the right tone was set because we are dealing with a lot of really tough issues when it comes to gun violence and gang violence in the city of Chicago, which is really ground zero for gun violence in America," Lee told CBN News.

"But at the same time, never let the audience forget that they were in a comedy," he added.

The cast includes familiar faces like "Cedric the Entertainer" and Ice Cube. It also features newcomers like rappers Common and Nikki Minaj.

Laughter makes tough lessons go down a bit smoother, and the cast served up plenty. Still, the comedy aspect made it challenging for the director.

"I remember when I was shooting the movie, I was like, 'This is going to be the first movie that I have done that is really going to be made in the editing room,'" Lee told CBN News.

"A lot of movies get made in the editing room, but I knew that all the stuff that we were going to get was not going to make the movie," he explained.

"As funny as it was, as great as it was, you have to chisel away at it and figure out what is the best version of the movie. And I think we got the best version," he said.

"Barbershop: The Next Cut" is in theaters Friday. It's rated PG-13 because of some of its language, which includes some sexual dialogue.