Madeas Big Happy Family

Starring: Tyler Perry, Loretta Devine, Cassi Davis
Directed by: Tyler Perry (“For Colored Girls”)
Written by: Tyler Perry (“For Colored Girls”)

Devout followers aside, director/writer Tyler Perry isn’t doing anyone any favors with his latest dysfunctional dramedy.

“Madea’s Big Happy Family” is so obnoxious, annoying, unfunny, and downright hateful, that watching lunatics freaking out on stage during a paternity episode of “Maury Povich” would be better received. At least “Povich” feels scripted.

With “Family,” the screenplay is merely a collection of pathetically weak male characters and overtly aggressive she-devils who lead hypocritical lives and learn absolutely nothing about salvation and forgiveness.

Loretta Devine does her best as a frustrated matriarch attempting to get her grown children together for dinner to reveal her declining health, but Perry’s pity party overstays its welcome to the point where you wish Devine would skip over the repetitious plot points and just play in traffic.

After 11 films in only seven years, Perry has taken full advantage of the lowbrow niche and raked in millions. To pretend he is the voice of Black America — even for entertainment purposes alone — is disconcerting, irresponsible and, honestly, a little scary.

Why Did I Get Married Too?

Starring: Tyler Perry, Janet Jackson, Jill Scott
Directed by: Tyler Perry (“Why Did  I Get Married?”)
Written by: Tyler Perry (“Why Did  I Get Married?”)

It’s about time director/writer/actor Tyler Perry sits down and has a heart-to-heart conversation with himself. He needs to ask what his role in this film industry is now that he has taken full advantage of his core audience and delivered to them relatable albeit not very memorable stories. With “Why Did I Get Married Too?” Perry continues to lose steam and rehashes most of the same themes and characters he has been creating for the last eight years. It says something about Perry’s career when the best film his name is attached to is last year’s harrowing drama “Precious.” In that film, Perry took on a producer role and did a masterful job helping sell that movie to mainstream audiences. It’s time he realizes he needs to be the man who goes out and looks for the talent and puts his money behind the talent instead of masquerading as the talent.

I Can Do Bad All By Myself

Starring: Taraji P. Henson, Adam Rodriguez, Tyler Perry
Directed by: Tyler Perry (“Madea Goes to Jail”)
Written by: Tyler Perry (“Madea Goes to Jail”)

We’ll give filmmaker Tyler Perry credit for creating some empowering female characters in his movies, especially in his newest “I Can Do Bad All By Myself.” Academy Award-nominee Tarjai P. Henson (“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”) delivers a good performance. Her work, however, is overshadowed by Perry’s determination to keep all his films immersed in conventional drama and clichés.