This time, Calvin's rattled by an inner-city real-estate entrepreneur Quentin Leroux (Harry Lennix) who is determined to gentrify the 'hood by developing a group of trendy franchises, like juice bars, sandwich shops and gyms. "As long as they ain't building no liquor stores - or stripper bars - I'm cool with that," he reasons. But when a snazzy competitor called Nappy Cutz opens across the street, a territorial struggle begins and Cal discovers just how important his shop is.

From the opening credits, which trace the history of black coiffure, it's a tribute to African-American culture. Written by Don D. Scott, based on characters created by Mark Brown, and directed by Kevin Rodney Smith ("How Stella Got Her Groove Back"), its humor is topical, timely and character-driven. In addition to Ice Cube, there's Cedric the Entertainer, the irreverent barber whose past history within the shop is revealed in flashback; the singer Eve, the only female cutter; Queen Latifah, the feisty proprietor of the beauty shop next-door; plus Troy Garrity, the token white barber. But it's the fast-paced, irreverent banter that you're gonna remember, particularly when the Washington D.C. sniper is dubbed "the Jackie Robinson of crime." On the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, "Barbershop 2: Back in Business" is a savvy, sassy 7. And look for Queen Latifah to have her own spin-off, "Beauty Shop," later this year.