| Review:
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Though master of disguise Tyler Perry is showing some
decided improvement in turning out movies that aren't shameless
religious sermonizing in grossout clothing, his strongest
assets as a storyteller are still not likely to reside in
the main course, but rather the outrageous trimmings. As
such, Madea Goes To Jail gets far more points for its sexually
ambiguous bully protagonist, than its bully pulpit rudely
prodding in the background, and occasionally in your face
center stage.***
This time around, the biggest treat is Perry getting
analyzed by no less than TV's Dr. Phil. After a series of
indictable offenses requiring hilarious anger management
sessions with the shrink, the incorrigible former rabble
rousing plus size stripper is sent to prison. But perhaps
a more constructive subject to explore with the exasperated
therapist, would have been Madea/Perry's underlying gender
grudge against women, who in the world according to the
prolific filmmaker specializing in agitated-prop, range
from conniving to unruly. And essentially making the planet
an exceedingly problematic place for men.***
Another hot topic Perry skims all too briefly, is ghetto
guilt, and the emerging class warfare among African Americans
as the black bourgeois population continues to grow. This
is a narrative strand that evolves none too smoothly side
by side with Madea's antics, as an Atlanta prosecutor played
by Derek Luke seeks to rescue a childhood friend (Keisha
Knight Pulliam) turned prostitute and likewise born into
poverty, from a life of predatory ho daddies. And even if
it threatens his pending marriage to a devious patrician
fiancee/colleague (Ion Overman). On an intriguing side note,
in a rare lucid moment the drug addicted hooker draws a
revealing comparison between heroin and bourgeois ambition.
Paging Dr. Phil.***
Not to worry, Tyler is not about to seize upon any
alarming issues
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Final Words:
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Tyler is not about to seize upon
any alarming issues of the day, like poverty, racism or this
tragic economic crisis currently in progress. Victimhood in
his world view is a mere personality defect, and forget about
happy endings, religion can substitute nicely and tie up all
of life's glaring loose ends instead. And though odd as it
may seem, Perry is at his funniest when not serious, in more
ways than one, despite when silly beyond 'belief.' If he would
just stick to delighting audiences with his exquisitely honed
humor and wild way with words, and the lighter side of Madea
Goes To Jail that is teeming with all sorts of cameo surprises
likely to corner captive audiences too. |
