Madea's Family Reunion

In Tyler Perry's second movie installment he has issues of domestic abuse,a controlling parent,and taking in a foster child. The problem some people have with this movie is that the subject matters of this movie has nothing to do with comedy. But Tyler Perry can put in a way to make people laugh. Now beating a fiancé or spouse is a serious matter,forcing an offspring to marry for selfish gain isn't funny,and another offspring trying to find love again sounds more like drama. But this movie is drama with a comic twist and Tyler Perry is brilliant enough to make the viewers laugh instead of continuing to be overwhelmed with such intensed scenes. I haven't seen a black family movie like this since Soul Food(1997). Tyler Perry is the new well-known sassy and outspoken character Madea who is the biggest comic relief in the movie. Blair Underwood is the snobbish Carlos who continually tries to impress his upscale colleagues and beat his fiancé behind closed doors. Recently Underwood been playing this same character but without the abuse in the movies like "Something New" and "G". I think Blair Underwood is starting to be type-casted. Though anyway Madea family reunion is a good movie but some scenes could have been left out (Madea's husband checking out the young relative and Madea beating the child with a belt). Still the movie is worth seeing.

"Madea's Family Reunion" is a stage play adapted to screen by the original playwright Tyler Perry. Tyler Perry has a huge following because of the success of his stage plays and the DVD sales of those stage plays as well as his movie "A Diary of a Mad Black woman" This movie starts out kinda of slow with a lot of weird shots and angles, but this one is directed by Tyler Perry. This is his first time behind the camera, so that made me a little forgiving.

About 10 minutes into the movie you as the plot point was established so did those weird shots. This movie is very inspiring like all of Tyler Perry works. It is by no means a Christian movie, but is an healthy alternative for the movies put out by mainstream Hollywood.

There was a very complex story line that was dealt with in this movie. Many movie goers can really empathize with all of the main characters. Blair Underwood and Lynn Whitfield were absolutely marvelous in this movie.

In my review of "Diary of a Mad Black Woman" I suggested that Tyler Perry cast a real actor in the role of Madea to give the movie more believability. Him playing Madea on stage works great, but it doesn't work as well in a play if he insists on playing himself and the uncle, you shouldn't have other characters that look just like you. He should really take a not from Eddie Murphy, although he played several different characters in the Klumps they each all looked different to an extent. Madea her son and her nephew and her brother all look exactly alike. He should either give up doing Madea or give up the other two roles.

This movie in-spite my objections to his casting himself, was quite good. It dealt with a love story of a woman who could not overlook her dark childhood. A woman who seemed trapped in an abusive relationship. And the family reunion was a glimpse into how modern blacks have strayed away from the struggles of the past generations.

It was such an awkward scene to have those old men lusting after their own cousin.

This movie was not written to be an Academy Award Caliber movie so I can't judge it as such. I really think it played to it's idea target audience perfectly.

My family who live in South Mississippi all went to see this movie together. That's over 20 people who normally don't go to the movies went out as a family to see this one. This movie has a huge drawing power amongst blacks of all ages. My elderly grandmother went to see this movie the last movie that she saw was guess? "Diary of a Mad Black Woman".

Tyler Perry keep on making your plays into movies, because you have some good messages and you are able to draw people that Hollywood could only dream of!

This is to me just an amazing, funny, delightful movie.

But first ... to be honest, I wasn't planning on seeing this movie at all. I had (woe be to me) never even heard of Tyler Perry. And the film's title alone sounded ... well ... unappealing at best. The synopsis I'd read suggested yet another movie with a man playing an overweight black woman. That might have been funny once or twice ... in Big Momma's House, and The Nutty Professor ... but surely can't keep carrying so much water as to make yet another movie about this same motif, right?

Well, be that as it may, I noticed that this film had hit the top of the box office when it opened a week ago. And then I read a review this morning by a typically politically correct reviewer who was "dissing" the movie. Now this is a reviewer I've come to rely upon as always panning movies I like and waxing enthusiastic about movies I dislike. So reading this reviewer's badmouthing prompted me to try out this movie ... and I am so glad I did.

I think I can see why high-minded PC reviewers wouldn't like it. It's a "popular" comedy, full of rough, earthy humor, celebrates Black cultural child-rearing values, and unapologetically celebrates God and family. No wonder it's been a hit with the general Black American culture, especially Black Churchgoing culture.

What is it that makes this movie so funny and so deeply heart-warming at the same time?

Well, in some ways, this is something of an old-fashioned morality play. Such has a wonderful tradition in Western Culture ... and in African culture. A resurrection of the Morality Play is fine by me: just a shocker, that's all. I kept thinking, "how are these characters getting away with saying things like that?" As when the leading lady says she's given her life to God and has been celibate and will stay celibate till she's married. How is it possible for something like that to show up in a general release movie in this day and age? Not as a statement to be mocked, but as an expression of genuine faith in God and Chastity? I just shook my head and smiled and enjoyed the sheer frank morality of the movie every time it surfaced ... which was pretty often indeed.

The music was resplendent throughout the movie, but the sound seemed a little problematic at times. The audio was almost echoing, flat, tinny ... sort of like a somewhat bad mono recorder.

The cinematography was fine, but in a way, very old-fashioned ... stylistically similar to the movies from the early days when films were often framed as theater transferred to the screen. Maybe that reflects Tyler Perry's background, I understand as a playwright. But for example, the camera follows the action in a very straightforward, even simple way: head on, straight up, no angle shots, no through shots, no complex dissolves or modern "realistic" camera "jiggling". Maybe this is intentional: the movie is telling a plain, straight story with feeling and humor and no hint of subtlety. If this is what's going on, it's fine by me: because this makes for a very candid, very honest, but never discomforting style. Perry's narrating a Story, Telling us What's Happening. Nuance is not what we're after here. Very basic human themes are painted with strong strokes. So we have a basic cinematography to fit this purpose. Fair enough.

There's an interesting interplay of serious and humorous material at two levels. First, there's some very tight sequencing in which strongly emotional material is followed by strong humor. Some will like this, some not, but it's very much at the core of Madea's character, and the overall character of the movie. Second, "serious" scenes are sometimes interspersed with humorous scenes inserted clearly for no other reason than plain comic relief. I think some might find that a little jarring. Still, it works for me very well. And this kind of thing goes back to Shakespeare at least, so I know it works for others as well.

The acting and characterizations were wonderful. Now again, don't look for subtlety, that's not the nature of the movie. But if it's good, solid performances matching characterizations to characters, this movie has it all. Tyler Perry as Madea and Joe was simply perfect. But the entire cast provided strong, reliable performances. Including a delightful cameo by Maya Angelou.

A few "plot holes" have been alleged. I see what's meant, but frankly, don't agree at all. This is a movie that for the most part is stylized, full of art and artifice, not a "realist" movie in which careful plotting is critical for believability. A movie like this is more like a painting, or a song ... a ballad. A popular folk ballad, full of humor and fun and tears and hugs ... and lightly textured but unapologetic moralizing. This movie is a classic combo of Entertainment and Edification. The final scenes at the farm, and at the wedding, really sum up the movie in both respects, and keeping a scorecard on consistency of details is very out of place, it's directly contradictory to the genre.

Last but not least, I have to say that the figure of Madea ... tying everything together with humor and wisdom ... is a sheer delight. I'm told she'll be back on the silver screen. Good ... I can't wait to make her acquaintance once again some day.

And needless to say I'm going to try to find and watch Diary of a Mad Black Woman as soon as I can find it ... !

I expected a comedy like the "Big Mama" movies. Instead, the movie was a bizarre mix of comedy, drama and a love story.

This movie has three plots: The first involves Madea and her taking in a foster child. The second involves a woman who is engaged to a rich man who is abusing her. The third involves a relationship between a single mother with 2 children and a single father.

There is actually very little comedy in the movie. There are also a number of very twisted messages in the movie. For example, Madea beats the foster child with a belt (in a comedic manner), to convince the child to straighten out. The child does, in fact, turn herself around. Apparently, it pays to beat children.

There are plots dealing with child rape (with the consent of the mother). There are scenes with old men ogling young girls who are related to them. (The ogling takes place at a family reunion.) The movie jumps from plot to plot such that you are always off-balance. Is this a comedy, a love story, or a drama? It is, in fact, nothing ... except a waste of time and money.

I think it was an excellent movie. It's one of those movies that you have every emotion with. You laugh, you cry, your shocked and angry. I would definitely watch it more than once! Good family movie also. It teaches kids about respect, family about caring, and shows kids right from wrong. It also teaches you about black history and where they came from. There are amazing actors and actresses in the movie!!! To see Maya Angelou and Cicely Tyson was awesome. Tyler Perry is amazing as Aunt Madea and once again keeps you laughing! The music selection was great and the wedding was absolutely beautiful. I think it was one of those movies that teach you that anything is possible and that you can be whoever you want to be no matter who tells you different. Seeing a child from the foster care system be turned around from a rough child into a beautiful, caring, loving child shows you as Aunt Madea said all a child needs is love, caring and compassion and to be taught to believe in yourself. The world today is quickly falling apart. Family values are being forgotten and everyone seems to be going their separate ways. The movie teaches you that family is everything; never forget where you come from.