Beauty shop

Herald rating: * *

And another triumph of the marketing and accountancy departments: the spin-off from the franchise movie. Barbershop and Barbershop 2 were hits so here are the female-oriented characters in their own movie.

From Barbershop 2, Queen Latifah reprises Gina Norris, the hairdresser who has just moved from Chicago to Atlanta. She is the top stylist in the salon run by the streaked blond hairstyle superstar Jorge Christophe (Kevin Bacon. 'Nuff said).

You just know that Gina will walk out and open her own salon. She will have to find an old place, make it over, find staff, each of whom will have the verbal dexterity of Oscar Wilde on a good night - the white beautician (Alicia Silverstone), Miss Josephine (Alfre Woodard) and Darnelle (step up, Keshia Knight Pulliam, it's been a long time since The Cosby Show).

You just know that someone will try to run Gina out of business. Jorge will pull strings in the city council to stop Gina from taking his clients (Andie MacDowell and Mena Suvari in cameos. Okay, rollers). And that Gina is raising her daughter, Vanessa (Paige Hurd), on her own, and neighbour Joe (Djimon Hounsou), will turn out to be a ... er, white knight.

However, Beauty Shop is not about a plot. Like the Barbershop franchise ... like any sitcom you could name, from Cheers to Friends, it's a stage for the characters, and everyone gets a turn in the spotlight. Or under the dryer. And, inspired by Latifah's sassy lead, there is great female dialogue on subjects from men, beauty and the best way to cook fish.

On a low-rent DVD, Latifah, Bacon and director Billie Woodruff break down the story in Inside The Style, Woodruff gives a commentary for selected scenes and potty-mouthed outtakes reel wraps it up.

* DVD, Video Rental Today