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 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.