“Fix it, Jesus!” says Tyler Perry’s titular eight-film-franchise protagonist as the film reaches its dramatic end.
Full of caustic wit, biting sarcasm, and a dramatic storyline, the reportedly last film in the Madea Family franchise struggles to find its footing as a “dramedy” but lands the laughs.
The movie sees the return of several characters from previous films in the Madea cinematic universe; this time at a family reunion that is soon interrupted by the sudden news of a death in the family. Derek Morgan’s (Criminal Minds, Wag the Dog) character as the family patriarch Anthony is found in a dramatically awkward yet hilarious situation that the movie tries to walk the line between from beginning to end.
As the family attempts to break the news gently to others, secrets are brought to light that had been concealed for years. It plays, in a lot of ways, like a stage play. Most of the film is dialogue and that expertly delivered and timed for comedic effect by the genius of Tyler Perry who could be fairly described as the modern Eddie Murphy, as he plays many roles in the same scene.
The humor is crass and at times vulgar, emotionally and physically. The dramatic scenes mostly fall flat with underdeveloped characters who aren’t incapable of acting well, but do their best with a script overloaded with too many characters.
When scenes change from serious to funny, it plays awkwardly. When the straight characters dialogue with the comedic characters, it’s difficult to remember that they’re in the same room together as their tone is so drastically different. The characters who act in earnest seem to only be place holders to give a structure to the film that Madea and crew can have an excuse to be funny.
Several scenes of physical comedy hit their mark: the dentures scene, the traffic stop, and the living room scenes at the beginning and end.
But it’s hard to know how to feel about what the movie wants to be. Is it just canned situations for the comedy to play off of or is it actually trying to say something serious as it turns on a dime to a dramatic tone? Although the film may be unbalanced, it makes for a definitive comedic send off for a character that has become a cinematic icon for the past 14 years.
