When it comes to Tyler Perry movies, viewers typically know what to expect when going in the cinemas; comedy paired with highly dark and emotional side stories that leave fans laughing and contemplating.
“Boo! A Madea Halloween” left audiences more silent than the typical film, as the joke starts to get old. Audiences can only see the same joke a few times before it gets old, and this movie is a perfect example, as many of them are drawn out in hopes of laughs with a very dissatisfying payoff.
The film stars Perry (“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows”) as Madea, Joe and Brian. Brian is a father going through a divorce while trying to raise his son and unruly daughter, Tiffany (Diamond White, “Transformers: Rescue Bots”). On Halloween, when Brian wants to make sure that Tiffany does not attend the house party at the frat house down the street, he pays Madea to come over and watch her, but Tiffany decides the best way to sneak out is to scare them so they will want to hide in their rooms.
From the first scene, audiences can tell that the film is going to take its time, as Brian fights with Tiffany and her friends in front of the frat boys, telling Tiffany to get back in the car. The scene could have been over in a minute, but the back and forth between him and the guys takes around five before finally ending.
Many scenes in the film share this similar trait, being drawn out to allow the characters to add extra jokes or zingers. One can easily lose interest as the issues fade to the background as the characters make jokes about having warrants, child abuse and smoking weed, the typical Perry humor used with Madea.
Along for the ride are Madea’s friends, Aunt Bam (Cassi Davis, “Act of Faith”) and Hattie (Patrice Lovely, “Love Thy Neighbor”). Both have their characters clearly defined and tell unique jokes, but fall into Perry’s pattern where they keep going on about nothing. Changes have been made from the other films for Bam, now having two chains which she constantly forgets and a weed card she wants to brag about to the cops, but one can only beat a dead horse before the joke is no longer funny. Hattie remains essentially the same; she is old and uses a funny voice.
There are good jokes in the film. When the cast plays around with the scenes and riff off one another, viewers cannot help but laugh. The film is enjoyable at times, it just tries too hard to be enjoyable.
The film’s drama is also forced in. The struggle over what Brian is going to do with his daughter seems to be instantly solved with very little effort. Also, Tiffany adds a comment about Brian’s ex-wife cheating on him, a plot point that appears out of nowhere and is only used to resolve the issue. No build up and an unsatisfying payoff.
Fans of Perry will like the film. It can be fun, unexpected and has a good message. Unfortunately, it is just not as good as his other films, because it tries too hard to be like them. Staying to the same style does not always mean greatness, it just means more of the same.
