Hellur! Tyler Perry's signature character has made her mark for so many years, teaching lessons in her own unique manner. These movies have come in all sorts of scenarios, many being close carbon copies of the predecessors that laid the foundation. This series continues to rope loyal fans into the theater though, never tiring of the gimmicks cooked up at Perry Studios. Tonight, the sequel to Madea's Halloween tale emerges, in hopes of mimicking the success it brought not long ago. What's the verdict? Robbie K, here asking you to read on to find out his opinions.
LIKES:
Familiarity: When it comes to Madea, you don't expect much deviation from the formula, a comforting factor indeed. Perry's writing doesn't try to be anything it's not, and that nets some respect in bringing the laughs that make so many laugh. And if you're a fan of this series, you'll have nothing to fear in regards to the comedy at hand (as evidenced by many people howling with laughter in my showing.)
Plenty of Madea: Some Madea movies don't do give the mad lady her adequate screen time, choosing instead to go for a more drama (soap opera like) plot. Boo 2 is more than happy to give you a Madea fix, with much of the 100-minute run time staying on our "protagonist." She leads much of the banter, and her insults are more than enough to keep things engaging alongside her older colleagues. So, for a movie promising Madea, this film delivers on this aspect as well.
Fast Pace: Another positive for Boo 2 is that the movie doesn't dawdle when it comes to getting to the laughs. A small, simplistic opening makes way to the comedy at hand, taking less than 20 minutes to get to the first bout of Madea running her mouth. Once that first joke flies, the movie continues at a steady pace and creating the effect of time flying (seriously had no idea an hour had passed). This leads to an entertaining environment that is simply fun on many levels, that's right no complicated thinking in this film.
Joe: By far the best part of the movie for me is Madea's brother Joe. While his sexually harsh jokes, lack of respect for others, and intense focus on drugs are not my main source of humor, this character has some of the best comedic moments of the movie. His timing is well- executed, and his lines are just harsh enough to offset the bickering this movie holds within. The piece de resistance though, is how well Perry delivers that gruff edge in his humor to maximize the punch of the line and keep the laughs fresh. I found myself laughing the most with his scenes and was glad to see more Joe in this film.
DISLIKES:
Unoriginal: Familiarity is fun and entertaining, but it is also lacking the original twist I like to see in the films. Every Madea film has a slight twist to it, but this film is too much a copy of the first Halloween movie that the tactics are fairly stale. Had it not been for the comedic timing at some parts of the movie, the bantering would have gotten much staler as the old folks complained about the same things consistently. This dislike also goes to the fact that Madea's jokes are losing favor with me, especially when they drop the morals for incoherent babbling and arguing.
The College Kids: If you read my last Madea review, you know the college kids didn't impress me. Sadly, this movie managed to make me loathe these characters even more. Rather than giving the younger characters some admirable qualities, outside of superficial looks, Perry crafted them to be the same, shallow, annoying selves they were in the past, only much worse. The fraternity brother are even hornier, stupid meatheads with little contribution to the movie. Leah (Lexy Panterra) is reduced to a squabbling airhead, who does little, but flash off her own body with overacted gestures and a skin-tight leopard shirt. Yet, the worst character goes to Tiffany (Diamond White) the arrogant brat who supposedly learned her lesson last time. After all the punishing blows, the hotheaded teen hasn't learned a thing and has fallen back into the same annoying qualities I despised in the first film. What's even more pathetic, is that they don't use her selfishness very well to drive a moral filled plot, but just as a tool for more jokes. Sadly, this movie doesn't give the satisfying punch that its predecessor accomplished.
No story: Boo 2's other major dislike for me is that lack of a story. It's true, the movie runs at a quick pace and is entertaining, but the trailers have tricked you into thinking there is a story. This particular Madea story is the lamest story of the bunch, with only a hair thin plot to ground the comedy too. Past this skeletal frame, the movie is only about cramming the most jokes into the run time, which also took away from the Madea formula.
The VERDICT:
Boo 2 is a sequel that accomplishes the goal of making you laugh with the same familiar tactics Perry has capitalized on for the last decade. It's simple fun, fast paced humor will keep fans howling in delight, while also welcoming a new age in with its simplicity. Yet, I found this movie to be the weakest of the installments, particularly due to the unbalanced characters and lack of story to guide the mischief better. Safe to say this movie is meant for home viewing pleasure where you can enjoy the banter and insults with better snacks and bathroom privileges.
My scores:
Comedy/Horror: 7.0 Movie Overall: 5.0
