I found this movie entertaining though I admit not the best movie ever made. The ideas are not original and it plays a bit like a black soap opera but for a FIRST movie by black playwright/author/producer/actor, new comer to Hollywood,-- Tyler Perry, it was good enough to earn him a second try.
What is original is Perry's ability to successfully walk the tightrope between telling a story of serious life/relationship issues and at the same time peppered with the outrageous humor of his alter-ego ,pistol totin',sharp-tongued, granny- "Madea" (Perry in drag). He uses Eddie Murphy (Klumps)/Martin Lawrence(Big Mama) humor to draw in the non-churched world to his allegories supporting not only Christian values, but universal moral values that lead to better lives for all. He keeps the adult humor clean enough to keep PG13 rating and there is little if any, cussing and no sex scenes. Another treat was seeing the regal Cicely Tyson in her first movie role in 10 years
It is a story about a black woman(played with beauty by Kimberly Elise) done wrong by her successful but abusive lawyer husband(Steve Harris) and her dilemma on how to deal with the disgrace of a divorce after being married for 17 years. In the meantime she gets help from her grandma 'Madea' and other family members and the laughter begins 'cause Madea don't take no mess!
Perry shows he's just as good as Murphy/Lawrence by playing 3 roles in the movie PLUS he wrote the movie and let them use his own mansion-of-a-home in Atlanta to shoot in as the house of the lawyer.
Expect more to come from Mr Perry b/c he comes with a base fan club of African American churchgoers nationwide (mostly women) who have seen and loved his very successful plays performed for years in playhouses across America.. Now he should garner more fans through movies/dvds-- because his themes are universal about family, love and how to make it in this world no matter what nationality or race etc.
He may, find it difficult to make it however without Madea and Joe, the characters that really put the butts in the seats
What is original is Perry's ability to successfully walk the tightrope between telling a story of serious life/relationship issues and at the same time peppered with the outrageous humor of his alter-ego ,pistol totin',sharp-tongued, granny- "Madea" (Perry in drag). He uses Eddie Murphy (Klumps)/Martin Lawrence(Big Mama) humor to draw in the non-churched world to his allegories supporting not only Christian values, but universal moral values that lead to better lives for all. He keeps the adult humor clean enough to keep PG13 rating and there is little if any, cussing and no sex scenes. Another treat was seeing the regal Cicely Tyson in her first movie role in 10 years
It is a story about a black woman(played with beauty by Kimberly Elise) done wrong by her successful but abusive lawyer husband(Steve Harris) and her dilemma on how to deal with the disgrace of a divorce after being married for 17 years. In the meantime she gets help from her grandma 'Madea' and other family members and the laughter begins 'cause Madea don't take no mess!
Perry shows he's just as good as Murphy/Lawrence by playing 3 roles in the movie PLUS he wrote the movie and let them use his own mansion-of-a-home in Atlanta to shoot in as the house of the lawyer.
Expect more to come from Mr Perry b/c he comes with a base fan club of African American churchgoers nationwide (mostly women) who have seen and loved his very successful plays performed for years in playhouses across America.. Now he should garner more fans through movies/dvds-- because his themes are universal about family, love and how to make it in this world no matter what nationality or race etc.
He may, find it difficult to make it however without Madea and Joe, the characters that really put the butts in the seats