Film Noir Review

"Madea’s Family Reunion" is worth attending!

by Judy Marker, Movie Critic
What a difference a year makes for Tyler Perry. It was only last February that his "Diary of a Mad Black Woman" made the transition from novel and stage to the big screen. Until then few mainstream critics knew who he was.

Now a year later, Perry is easily the most recognizable urban actor, writer and producer. "Diary," which cost about $5 million to make went on to earn $22 million in theatres and millions more on video.

Now a year later his "Madea’s Family Reunion" comes to the big screen with no need for introduction and therefore no advance screening.

That is why I can tell you that it has already sold well over $30 million worth of tickets in week number one. Not bad for a film reported to have cost only about $8 million to make.

If you haven’t already seen "Diary," I suggest you rent a copy before attending "Meda"s Family Reunion," for many of the original characters return in this one.

Perry, who stands about 6 foot 3 inches tall, plays his usual trio of roles as the fatherly Joe Simmons, his sister, the opinionated Mable "Madea" Simmons and their highly successful lawyer son and nephew Brian.

In this edition of Perry’s romantic comedy, once again we find two separate stories. We follow the tale a divided family headed by Victoria (Lynn Whitfield "their mother") who is out to enjoy life no matter what the cost or where the money comes from.

Her daughter Lisa (Rochelle Aytes "White Chicks") is engaged to be married to Carlos (Blair Underwood "Something New"), one of Atlanta’s most successful investment bankers. They are already living together in his 30th floor condominium surround by the best life can offer or it seems.

While Lisa seems to be on top of the world, her stepsister Veronica (Lisa Arrindell Anderson "Big Mama’s House 2") lives with the elder Simmons‚ unmarried and raising two children.

Can one admit she is living in hell rather than paradise and the other find that life while hard and full of challenges has a silver lining, the man of her dreams a bus trip away? This is one family with all the skeletons coming out of the closet.

Meanwhile we find Madea in the court of Judge Mablean Ephrim (TV’s "Divorce Court") represented by Brian.

After listening to Madea, the good judge sentences her to be a foster mother to a troubled teenager (Gabrrielle Anderson) who thinks this "mom" will be easy to handle. Wrong!

With Madea there is always room for one more and she makes sure her first try at being a foster parent is a success no matter what she must do. In the meantime the plans are in the final stages for the first Simmons family reunion in years.

Perry gives us a lesson in the importance of family with the return of the elderly Aunt Myrtle (Cicely Tyson) who lectures the dozens of family kin on just who they are and how important the reunion is to them. Also joining her is poet Maya Angelou who talks about marriage, community and commitment to each other.

Once again Perry successfully makes the transition to the big screen with a positive message. However, while loaded with laughs there is also a very dark side to "Madea’s Family Reunion."

Rated "PG-13" for mature thematic material, domestic violence, sex and drug references, this is adult entertainment and you should avoid bringing the kids.

"Madea’s Family Reunion" has a running time of one hour and 47 minutes and receives my second highest rating of "4-J’s/Don’t Miss It!"