Who's the Man?

A celebration of the hold that hip-hop's extended family of megastar rappers and DJs has on America, Demme's second film has rounded up a roster of stars. It's ostensibly about the threat posed to the community when evil property developer Demetrius (Bright) unveils his plans for Harlem. The only building in the way of his scheme is a barber shop, owned by pillar of the community, Nick. With the plot established, the film turns into a platform for rap stars Dr Dré and Ed Lover. Styled as a sort of black Abbott and Costello for the '90s, the pair exercise their appalling hairdressing skills in Nick's shop, until they become too much of a liability. Their natural timing goes a long way towards making the movie an effortless 85 minutes, but the 'raucous comedy' billing is justified only occasionally once they join the NYPD. Some diverting cameos.