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No surprise that the sit-commish spin-off Beauty Shop bears a resemblance to Barber Shop, the 2002 film starring Ice Cube that engendered it. It has the same assemblage of wacky characters, this time more female-centric: the comedy now is about breast implants and cheating men, though still with the token white stylist (Alicia Silverstone) struggling to fit in and still with financial troubles threatening to ruin everyone’s good time. Kevin Bacon misses the mark as a rival salon owner, his performance nothing more than a bad accent wrapped in a too-tight shirt. But Queen Latifah as Gina, the plucky new salon owner, carries the film with laid-back ease, and director Bille Woodruff sprinkles a few-good looking men into the mix, including Djimon Hounsou, to make for attractive backgrounds. Like Barber Shop, Beauty Shop achieves a pleasant vibe, but it’s too relaxed, like a saggy permanent. Predictable conflicts are resolved with minimal fuss, the plot twists and romantic entanglements are visible from a mile off, and no character strays from his or her prescribed role. No dye job will hide the fact that this franchise has gone prematurely gray. (105 minutes)
BY BROOKE HOLGERSON
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