Has it finally occurred to everyone that Tyler Perry needs to lock up Madea for good and throw away the key? Well, after the movie “Madea Goes to Jail,” it will be obvious. Not only is she played out, but she is holding Perry back from any hopes of being taken for a serious director. Although this comedic drama has a few humorous parts, it could have been directed a lot better without jumping back and forth between Madea’s angry outbursts and the dramatic life of a prostitute.
As the movie unfolds, the audiences see two plots forming, that of a comedic Madea trying to contain her anger, and that of Josh Hardaway, an engaged lawyer who is trying to get his troubled friend, Candy, off the streets. With a couple knee-slapping one-liners coming from Madea and her brother, Joe, dedicated fans of Tyler Perry will claim this as another one of his masterpieces in movies. Yet Joe’s jokes of calling Madea a “po-po hoe” doesn’t make up for the nauseating jolt watchers continually experience from watching Perry trying to jump back and forth from his humorous Madea to a dramatic plot of prostitution, drugs, rape and abuse that Josh tries to pull Candy out of.
The greatest thing this movie has going for it is the talented cast. As always, Joe and Madea, both played by Tyler Perry (“House of Payne”), were believable, humorous characters even if their presence hindered the serious tone the movie potentially had. Candy, played by Keisha Knight Pullium (“House of Payne”), surprisingly played a great role as a prostitute and druggie going through withdrawals, a far cry from her former Cosby days. Along with her dramatic role, Derek Luke (“Notorious”) got a good cry going through one scene, which rounded out the list of great acting.
However, the acting scenes did not make up for Perry’s lack of skill in developing both plots. Audiences were forced to sit through the movie bouncing back from drama plot to comedy plot over and over again, which hindered either plot from ever developing enough to satisfy. There was no depth to Candy’s and Josh’s story, and Madea randomly continued to get angry through each of her scenes. If Perry would have actually committed to the darker story, he may have produced a great movie. Instead, he tried, once again, to tie in his Madea.
Fortunately for all Tyler Perry fans, both plots blend together at the end. As Madea meets Candy in jail, the potential for a great blend of comedy and drama is revealed. Not only do readers find a little serious inspiration, they see a couple humorous scenes unfold. However, if this plot blending had occurred throughout the entire film as opposed to isolating it at the end, Perry would have been far more successful.
Although fans of Tyler Perry may say it was funny enough and had some great actors involved, they can’t possibly believe that Madea’s character can continue to go on much longer. Tyler Perry, sentence her to stay out of the movie scene 25 years to life.
1.5 out of 5 stars.
