January 30, 2013 at 5:54 p.m.
At the movies
Movie review: Madea's Big Happy Family *
Madea's Big Happy Family *
Stars: Tyler Perry, Loretta Devine and Shad 'Bow Wow' Moss
Director: Tyler Perry
Rated: PG-13
Showing: Southside Cinema week of Friday, May 13 – daily at 7:30pm. For more information about film times, call 297-2821.
Runtime: 106 minutes
Comedy/Drama
One-man movie studio Tyler Perry dons his fat suit for what seems like the billionth time to play rude, lewd and loud grandma Madea. When her niece Shirley (Loretta Devine, For Coloured Girls) is diagnosed with cancer, all she wants is to gather her three adult children together to tell them.
But their dramas always overshadow her own, so it’s up to Madea and the pot-smoking Aunt Bam (Cassi Davis, House of Payne) to sort out the clan’s problems.
Tammy (Natalie Desselle) can’t manage her unruly children or broken marriage, while Kimberly (Shannon Kane, Brooklyn’s Finest) also has marital woes.
Son Byron (Shad ‘Bow Wow’ Moss, Lottery Ticket) has just been released from jail and is under pressure to deal drugs again to support his gold-digging girlfriend (Lauren London) and baby-mama (Teyana Taylor).
The movie relies on rude, vulgar humour and insults and is mainly men being berated by selfish, shallow and stupid women.
It’s a complete turnaround from Perry’s female self-empowering For Coloured Girls, released just five months ago. The women in that were strong and admirable — here they are mean and abusive and we get no real reason for their behaviour.
With the exception of the religious Shirley, every female character is a loud and ungrateful nag.
The few highlights are nice performances by Shad ‘Bow Wow’ Moss and Teyana Taylor as a stereotypical but energetic ghetto baby-mama.
Watch if you liked: Meet The Browns.
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