Theatrical Releases: Barbershop: The Next Cut & The Jungle Book

THE JUNGLE BOOK || April 15th, 2016

	BARBERSHOP: THE NEXT CUT \|\| First of all, if you’ve seen the previous “Barbershop” films, besides plenty of reoccurring cast members, like Ice Cube, Cedric the Entertainer, Eve, and Anthony Anderson, this latest installment has very little to do when either of the previous films. What is basically a string of rants and political statements wrapped in barbershop banter, the film feels hallow and stacked with a cast that is has very little use for. Common, Nicki Minaj, and Lamorne Morris (Winston of “New Girl”) are some of the new faces of the film.
	THE JUNGLE BOOK \|\| Taking the source material of the original “Jungle Book” story and expanding on it to make one of the most epic jungle adventures ever made, director Jon Favreau adds depth and scale to a decent story, all while flawlessly creating a talking animals, live action feature that doesn’t feel silly. The voice acting is impeccable, but the same cannot be said for leading boy played Mowgli, whose greenness around the gills is far too apparent.