As Testemunhas de Madea

It's of course OK for a comedy to have a very simplistic story in it but its unforgivable when you just don't have a good comedy writer. Really, what's the point of watching a comedy when it just isn't being all that funny?

I just couldn't believe how badly written some of the comedy in this movie was. Most of the moments or pieces of dialog will get absolutely no laughs out of you, no matter how desperate the movie gets at times. The movie truly goes overboard in an attempt to still make you laugh, or at other times it's simply just going on and on. The director just didn't knew when to say cut at times, probably also because the director, Tyler Perry, himself is being on the screen a lot as well, as a whole bunch of different characters. But he clearly just ain't no Eddie Murphy!

The different story lines are either poorly connected or just connected in such an unrealistic way that it becomes ridicules. The movie even drops some story lines after a while and then picks them up again 30 minutes later, or sometimes it doesn't at all. It does the same with some of its characters. It all lets this movie feel like a real messy one at times and you are wondering multiple times throughout it what it exactly is that you are watching here.

The main premise of the movie is already a real ridicules and unlikely one to begin with. But the sad thing about it is that it's also absolutely going nowhere with it. At times I though that the movie was perhaps going to be one with some 'messages' it and the two different families would start to learn from each other and slowly but steadily grow closer to each other as well. But none of that is the case in this movie. It just mostly relies on racial stereotypes and other prejudices that just aren't being all that clever or original to watch and therefore also not all that funny.

And really, I love Eugene Levy but I just think he is better when he's not playing the lead role. He's just far better and more fun to watch in supporting roles, though it perhaps is not fair to say that purely based on his role in this movie of course. He is given some incredibly weak material to work with and the movie perhaps was at times relying far too much on his delivery. But not even a comical talent like Levy could turn some of the moments and pieces of dialog into something funny. And how are we supposed to believe he's married to Denise Richards? There is some weird casting going on in this movie but Tyler Perry foremost should not had cast himself playing 3 different characters. He just isn't a talented enough comic, so far too scenes involving him fall totally flat.

A failed attempt at a comedy.

4/10

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I did not see the entire movie when I first watched. The listings said it started at 2 and that's when recording started. But when I watched, the commercial break ended precisely as the recording started. As soon as I saw the family, I realized I knew them. Earlier in the day, I turned on a different TV with a DVR that records from an antenna (the other DVR uses cable) and met a dysfunctional family. I didn't have time to watch any more of this movie, as I had something to watch that the DVR had recorded, but I assumed I had seen it somewhere and could tell I would have really enjoyed it. I even checked the listings (which I don't normally do) and saw "To be announced". No, this channel is not on cable and I wouldn't have seen what it was showing anyway. The bratty teenage daughter resented being told to accept her father's second wife.

I saw the first half hour when this aired in July 2024 and Tom Arnold was a cartoon character but still funny, and Madea nearly destroyed a 1970 Cadillac teaching a would-be robber a lesson. Too pretty a car to be abusing like that; how many are left? But it was fun.

Yes, these people were as much fun as I assumed they would be when I was introduced. A lot of details were missing but I was able to figure out what had happened.

Whether she could act or not, Denise Richards sure was pretty to look at, and even if Cindy hated her, she was nice enough. And I'm not overly critical. Richards seemed good enough to me.

Eugene Levy, of course, gave his usual good performance doing what he does best, a frustrated and somewhat wimpy man who can't seem to cope with all the chaos around him.

John Amos did his usual fine job as the pastor. I don't quite understand why he would be here, because years ago he complained about a quality TV series he co-starred in being taken over by a clown. This is different? Maybe he needed the money, but of course he added to the quality here.

Doris Roberts was funny as a family member losing her mind.

Regardless of what anyone thinks of Tyler Perry, he was great here in three very different roles, and the visual effects crew made him appear to be in scenes with himself quite convincingly. Dignified as the FBI agent, silly as Uncle Joe, and, well, what can you say about Madea? I've seen a couple of her movies and you just have to like her, if you are capable of it. She won't take that kind of business from anyone, but if you let her show you love, she will. What I wasn't expecting was the road trip, and getting through airport security was absolutely hilarious. And Madea in the big city? Priceless! All the deception and scheming really made this work for me.

And what a choir! I'm not really a fan of black church music, but these people were fantastic.

No, it won't win Oscars. It's just fun.

I sat down in 2021 to watch the 2012 movie "Madea's Witness Protection". Now, I was vaguely familiar with the Madea movies in general, having seen a single one I think, so I wasn't really completely sure what I was getting into here.

However, I will say that writer and director Tyler Perry did manage to produce a script, storyline and movie that was fun enough for what it turned out to be. "Madea's Witness Protection" is the type of movie that you will watch once, and probably never again, as the contents of the storyline just didn't strike me as it was having enough to it to support more than a single viewing.

I suppose it takes a certain kind of humor to fully get into a movie such as "Madea's Witness Protection". But for me personally, there was only so much of a man pretending to be a woman that could be seen before it started to grow stale. I mean, it has been done and seen before in movies such as the 2007 movie "Norbit" or the numerous "Big Momma's House", and others. So it wasn't as if Tyler Perry was inventing anything grand here with this 2012 movie.

The movie definitely is carried by a rather impressive cast list, with the likes of Tyler Perry, Eugene Levy, Denise Richards, Tom Arnold, Doris Roberts and John Amos on the billing.

There was a fair amount of comedy throughout the course of the movie, and that definitely helped to keep the movie afloat a great long way.

I was adequately entertained by "Madea's Witness Protection", but this was hardly an outstanding gem in the comedy genre. Nor is it a movie that I think I will ever be returning to watch a second time.

My rating of "Madea's Witness Protection" lands on a five out of ten stars.

I went and saw this last night with family and friends and really enjoyed myself. Yes, I can hear everyone moaning about "Its the same crap over and over again", which I agree is kinda true, and honestly, if you don't like the Madea movies, you might not like this one either, even though I do think this was one of the better ones (never did like "Madea goes to Jail").

Yes, Medea can get pretty tiring, after all, how many times can you see a 6ft+ man in drag? I know I had gotten tired of it pretty fast with "Big Momma's House". But there is just something about Madea that screams "homicidal maniac" and its hilarious watching "her" trying to stop from bitch slapping these people. As for the movie itself, some of the dialogue was a bit infantile and some of the acting a bit over the top (and under in some cases), but I came to watch a funny movie and not an intellectual one, so I let those slide.

As for Tyler Perry, I love most of his movies. See, I didn't saw I loved them all, cause I do agree that a lot of his story lines are becoming very similar and almost one-dimensional (although I did enjoy the last one "Good Deeds" very much).

Keep rocking Tyler!!

(Credit IMDb) A Wall Street investment banker who has been set up as the linchpin of his company's mob-backed Ponzi scheme is relocated with his family to Aunt Madea's southern home.

I like Tyler Perry, but I wasn't feeling this one at all! It felt forced and contrived to me. Eugene Levy is a very funny person, but the material lets him down here. This one doesn't have many belly laughs in it. The most I did was chuckle, and that was pretty rarely. I'm beginning to wonder if Madea has hit a wall... I believe Tyler Perry is fully capable of making good Madea movies, but the last two I've seen (This one and Madea's Big Happy Family) haven't impressed me very much. The great cast does what they can. Denise Richards is great to look at, but she's better as the vixen type. Doris Roberts, Tom Arnold & John Amos add presence. The kids were thoroughly annoying in this movie. Charlie Sheen's cameo was fun... I'll say that

It wasn't horrible, but one of Tyler's weakest efforts as Madea. I hope "A Madea Christmas" is a bit of a rebound for Tyler. I still believe in the character!

5/10