Review of film: “MADEA’S BIG HAPPY FAMILY”

2011, 04-30:

Review of film:  “MADEA’S BIG HAPPY FAMILY”

This latest TYLER PERRY film has an IRONIC title:  The “Family” is BIG, but it’s far from “HAPPY” in any way...

...  As the film opens, Madea’s niece, Shirley (LORETTA DIVINE), is at the office of a doctor.  She’s there with Aunt Bam (CASSI DAVIS), who’s very embarrassing to have around with the way she smokes POT & keeps unabashedly “coming on” repulsively to the unflappable physician...

...  It turns out that Loretta gets some very UPSETTING news about her health, & decides that she wants to tell her family the news at a “quiet” dinner at her place...  But, for nearly the whole movie, she never seems able to “CORRAL” them together for it, much less get them to be in any way really “quiet” or to “deal” with the “news” she wants to relate...

...  Loretta is very sweet in disposition & actions, but has an often-MISERABLE family:  her oldest daughter Tammy (NATALIE DESELLE REID) constantly puts-down her husband Harold (RODNEY PERRY) who runs an auto-repair shop.  He never really “speaks-up” for himself & just “takes” her verbal abuse.  To no surprise, their 2 sons are horribly out-of-control and foul-mouthed...

...  The younger daughter is real-estate agent Kimberly (SHANNON KANE).  As kind and good-hearted as her husband Calvin (ISAIAH MUSTAFA) is, she’s the opposite--  almost continually “angry” & an absolute bitch to him and also to her mother Loretta.  Weirdly, NO ONE seems to “call” her on her unacceptable behavior thru almost the whole film...

...  The youngest son is Byron (SHAD “Bow Wow” MOSS).  He’s had some past troubles with drug-dealing, but seems to have “reformed” & tries to hold down a “straight” job...

...  But, although he seems down-to-earth & comparatively “sensible”, he for some reason “puts-up” with 2 horrible GIRLFRIENDS:  One, Sabrina (TEYANA TAYLOR), is a pushy “whiner” who is constantly harping on him to take care of their young SON (which he’s usually happy to do) & to provide her with a continuous stream of money.  She’s clearly “one-dimensional”, threatening, & cares only about HERSELF...

...  As if that one “bad” choice wasn’t “enough”, Bow-Wow has a new girlfriend who’s even worse:  Renee (LOREN LONDON) is an incredibly self-centered “gold-digger” who regularly pushes him to go back to selling DRUGS so he can support her in a “style” to which she’s decided she’s “entitled” (tho she’s done nothing to “deserve” any special treatment)...

...  Into these “matches made in HELL” comes Madea (TYLER PERRY).  She, as usual, is massively “over-the-top”... 

...  There’s a weird “sub-plot” involving her “husband” Mr. Brown (DAVID MANN) and whether he’s really the father of their child Cora (TAMELA J. MANN)...  At one point, they even bring MORRIE POVICH into the matter to report on “DNA” concerning the situation...

...  But, as excessive as Madea (Tyler) can be, she’s comparatively SENSIBLE in doing what’s “NEEDED” to be done in the matter of Loretta & her family.  Madea runs around, uses “TOUGH-love”,  & “forces” various of the family members to agree to come to Loretta’s place for the dinner she wants to have to tell everyone about her HEALTH problems...

...  At the dinner (which includes Madea, Cassi & the others), the daughters are their usual MISERABLE selves, treating their husbands like crap. Madea confronts them about their bad treatment, pointing out their husbands ought to be treated far BETTER by them...

...  While “progress” seems to be made, Natalie suddenly makes a comment that reveals a huge family SECRET that deeply upsets the family dynamic even more...

...  Will the daughters start to treat their husbands better?...  Will Bow-wow “wise-up” to his bad choices in women and “actions”?...  Will there be “DNA” resolution with Mr. Brown?...  Will Loretta be able to tell her family her bad NEWS, & will it be in ‘time” to accomplish what she hopes?...

...  This is an almost “schizophrenic” film:  the ACTING is quite good, with the characters “believable” in their “extreme” roles.  There’s a bunch of mild LAUGHS in the movie (mainly concerning words & actions by Madea)...

...  But, so many of the characters are exceptionally UNPLEASANT and / or DUMB with their actions as people, it’s very hard to “CARE” about them.  I guess I’d say, it’s simply too “EXTREME” to be a really enjoyable or “satisfying” movie-going experience...

...  And thus, I can only rate this film at like 6.25 out of 10 stars...      

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