Review: Tyler Perry's Madea's Family Reunion

I recently gave into temptation and ventured to see the latest offering from Tyler Perry, aka Black Jesus. I call him such because whatever the man touches turns into gold. Even though many of his plays are purchased "bootleg" style he seems to radiate wealth. If you are not with the African-American subculture I am afraid you may not be aware of Mr. Perry except for his films. Madea has been a creation of Mr. Perry for quite some time now. For those who do not know, Madea is the matriarch of her family who is both maternal and vicious. She is played with ferocity and tenderness by Perry himself. Perry also plays two other characters. One is Uncle Joe, the perpetually perverse and crass brother of Madea, and the other is Brian, the straight-laced son of Joe and overall nice guy who happens to be an attorney. This is fiction remember. As well as being the film's star, writer, and producer, Perry also directs the film. Like I said before, the man is seriously Black Jesus. If you doubt the man's influence, question his reputation as an artist to an African-American. It is like that.
I'll cut to the chase. The film is a sequel to Diary of a Mad Black Woman, which also features Perry in the same multiple roles. In this film, Madea is forced by a court-order to take on teenage runaway Nikki(Keke Parker). Of course all Nikki needs is some of Madea's tough love, which equates to plenty of corporal punishment and a couple strategically-placed hugs. Madea's house is VERY full. Her niece Vanessa (Lisa Arrindell Anderson) and her two children live there. Madea also babysits Brian's two kids. Joe lives there as well.
Madea also has an extended family that includes Lisa (Rochelle Aytes) who is in a verbally and physically abusive relationship with her boyfriend (Blair Underwood). Lisa's plight is complicated even further by her mother, Victoria (Lynn Whitfield), who is the African-American version of Joan Crawford. Victoria is SO far over the top that it is pretty hard to take her character seriously. Her obsession with wealth and the sustaining of wealth is a tired cliche and it comes off as being tacky on film. The preferential treatment of Lisa over her other daughter, Vanessa, is also pretty tired. I could explain the history behind the strained relationship but it would take too long and African-American melodrama is WAY too complicated to try to dissect.
The first thing that I did not like about the film was that all of the male leads were WAY too attractive. It looked like a catalog for Muscle and Fitness magazine. It's one thing to be attractive, but to perpetuate said attractiveness with them being honest, decent, child-friendly, cultured, and a God-fearing Christian. I mean c'mon!!!! Could we keep this scenario semi-real?
The second problem I had with the film was that the character of Victoria. There is no way a woman this evil can exist. I have heard of murderers and people who seem to not have a semblance of respect for the sanctity of human life, but at least those people are aware that their actions have consequence and can see a world that extends beyond themselves. The repercussions of Victoria's malice are beyond her comprehension, which makes any possible "redemption" effort to be problematic.
The last problem I saw with the film is not a real "problem" as much as a trend that I notice in film that I think is creating negative consequences. I give Mr. Perry credit for creating a film with an all African-American cast and trying to establish a positive values, but the marketing of the film was off. The film is seen by most as a "black" movie. Film is supposed to transcend race. Film is supposed to be about entertainment and, hopefully, enlightenment. This film does have value, but it is not just a "black" movie. The film does stress the importance of family values, strength through unity, and the need to be respectful to oneself. Those values are meaningful to every ethnicity. What is a "black" movie anyhow? What is a "Caucasian" film? Is there a difference? I hope that Hollywood will abandon the practice are marketing to a specific "target audience" and make movies that all people can go see. It also might help out the struggling box office numbers as well. Film is the ultimate medium and it represents a plethora of possibilities that should not be limited because of the pigment in a person's skin.