Madea Goes to Jail

Tyler Perry has made another comical movie. This movie is hilarious. But the ending is suspect and promotes the wrong message.

Derek Luke stars in this film and I have always liked him ever since Denzel Washington gave him a shot in the Antwone Fisher movie. I also enjoyed him in the recent Notorious film released despite having only a few scenes. I think he is funny, straight up.

Perry plays his usualy multiple parts. He has borrowed the Eddie Murphy idea or performance from Coming to America and made this a central idea in his movies. This is what his movies entail, him playing several roles.

Madea/Joe/Brian are the three roles that Perry consumes and handles with skill. The main character is Madea and she is just an out of control brute with an attitude to accompany this character. She drives without a license and has seemingly escapted jail for many years despite wreaking havoc on society. She is finally tossed in jail after destroying someone else's car in Super Kmart parking lot using a robust fork life. Yes, that woman was a snob but destroying her car was way over the top. She did not deserve this. Perhaps some ghetto folks would agree with this reaction. It is pretty unrealistic since the most likely consequence is her car would be keyed by the agitated citizen.

I have problems not with the acting and performances but with the message. I guess Perry is OK with someone laughing at the law, being selfish, and bullying her way through life. Her family still cares for her which is just ridiculous. One of the funniest lines and scenes in this movie is when Madea is tossed in jail for 5-10 years after the judge borrows this sentence from the time the bailiff gives him. In reality, Madea would have been knee deep in debt paying for all of the fines and fees levied against her. But this is fiction.

This movie occurs in the south as most of Perry's films. I would say this is Atlanta, supposedly the capital of the south. Nashville and Atlanta and perhaps Charlotte are competing for this recognition.

Familiar faces like Keshia Knight Pulliam and Vanessa Ferlito share roles in this film. The latter from the dull CSI New York whose had an obvious nose job completed.

Luke plays an assistant to the D.A. who uncovers a scam and crime committed by one of his co workers. This high rising lawyer is Ion Overman who just happens to be his pretty fiancee. She is upset that Luke befriends and old acquaintance-Keshia Knight Pulliam-who he allowed or did not help her from escaping a terrible event-a rape. Overman is upset that Luke takes her in and attempts to help her out. When Pulliam is arrested for her whatever, probably her illegal occupation in prostitution, Overman manipulates her paper work influencing the judges decision to grant her a greater sentence. Evil.

Luke uncovers this scam and denounces her on the wedding alter. This ripple affect destroys her credibility which compells the system to release an entire host of prisoners, including but not limited to, Madea. Which is just absurd. It is not simple and to me, the ending was shoddy. Why did Perry toss in this ending? Because he is black and black people generally distrust the justice system? Because he believes terrible people like Madea should running around detrimenting society? Whose society does she damage? It is mainly black dominated neighborhoods who put up with this violence and individualized anarchy. A Madea type person is not going to cause havoc in a white community. She would either be shot or harrassed so much by the local police, she would move. It would be a combination of both.

The music was decent. The writing was impressive and the movie was filled with hilarious events. But many of these same characters we have seen before and the ending, to me, was off base and unnessessary. Madea should not have been released. Only a fool would be happy with that outcome and prospect.

I allocate this movie two stars.