Tyler Perry Brings Madea to the Family Funeral
Tyler Perry’s A Madea Family Funeralopened in movie theaters Friday, March 1 and depending on who you ask—you either cried, laughed or left the theater disappointed. Just in case you are wondering my thoughts, I’ll get to that momentarily but let’s address the elephant in the room—Madea does not die in what Perry describes as Madea’s sendoff.
In usual Tyler Perry fashion, A Madea Funeral was welcomed with some fresh new faces including KJ Smith,Aeriél Miranda,Selena Anduze,Courtney Burrell and Quin Walters to name a few. As an avid film buff I always enjoy seeing new talent and Perry never fails to deliver up and coming talent.
The overall premise finds Madea, her brother Joe, nephew Brian and sidekicks Aunt Bam and Miss Hattie taking a road trip to visit well-to-do family members who are celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary.
Once the group settles in a nearby hotel, they are met with a few surprises that ends with a dead body in tow. With family secrets beginning to brew, Madea has now been placed in charge of planning a not so joyous occasion—a family funeral. There are some notable cameos during the funeral scene including Instagram favorites—Miss Shirleen and Karlton No Banks.
In anticipation of the family funeral, Madea and her pose round out family members with intention of bringing hidden family secrets to the forefront. Just as any Madea film, a lesson can be expected especially when the no nonsense Madea brings her words of wisdom on screen.
Perry is known for his family friendly films but with A Madea Family Funeral, you may want to keep the kids at home and make this an adult only outing. While Perry explicitly deals with adult only content in the film, parents may not find it suitable for children.
While I am a fan of Perry and anything relating to Madea, I’ve never been a fan of Perry’s writing. From a script perspective, majority of the dialogue could be guessed but it was still worth a shot to see it roll on the screen. Perry’s knack for finding up and coming talent is what helps stand him apart in Hollywood—in my opinion.
Ladies there is certainly some eye candy worth mentioning. Rome Flynn,Courtney Burrell and former reality television star David Otunga each had camera time worthy to make you stammer in anticipation for their next scene. It was also a treat to see David Otunga play the character of a doting and attentive husband.
Perry did introduce a new member to his ensemble—Heathrow, a double amputee ‘war’ hero who speaks with a voice synthesizer. The introduction of Heathrow brought comedic relief alongside Madea, her brother Joe, Aunt Bam and Miss Hattie. Former boxing heavy weight champ, Mike Tyson makes a cameo at the end of the film that I’m sure many spectators didn’t see coming.
Overall, between the acting and the mediocre script A Madea Family Funeral can be seen once it hits the DVD status. However, if you’re just looking for a fun night out and nothing else seems to peak your interest at the theaters, A Madea Family Funeral will fit the bill.
