Barbershop: The Next Cut

This one, thankfully, boasts some welcome new cast members (including the rapper Common and Nicki Minaj), a new director in Malcolm D Lee (the cousin of Spike), and a fearless approach to difficult subjects.

Barbershop: The Next Cut brings topical social issues into the narrative but only starts meaningful conversations without genuinely pushing them forward.

What most captivates is the rhythm of those scenes in which the characters mount the soapbox to share stinging observations on a variety of topics in an often hilarious back-and-forth battle of words.

The fourth entry in the Barbershop franchise delivers keen social commentary, bringing back many of the key players from the 2002 and 2004 installments.

Leaving aside the humorous cultural escapism of the early aughts, The Next Cut faces the racial and political issues of 2016 head on.

This Barbershop is simply a place where we can all laugh together, sometimes at ideas that veer close to being explosive.

The Next Cut is a comedy with dramatic heft or a drama with solid comedy, depending on how you look at it. Either way, it more than justifies returning to the barbershop.

I did not laugh much, but it is effective on an emotional level, as a portrait of a people trying to cope with gang violence that is spinning out of control in their community.

A more mature installment that seeks to challenge audiences as often as it cracks them up, Next Cut marks a charming and enjoyable evolution of the series.

No one is going to be talking about this film when awards season rolls around next time. But chances are good that you'll leave the theater with a smile on your face. Considering the real-life subject matter, maybe that's worthy of a prize.