Review of Madea's Family Reunion (2006) by Silkina C — 16 May 2009

Tyler Perry, as usual, makes a very trite and cliched melodrama with simplistic, binary concepts of good and evil. Carlos and the character of the mother are such forces of pure evil that they're hardly believable as real people. The Christian message has no subtlety whatsoever in an already unsubtle script. The acting (except for Perry's) is atrocious from beginning to end. Also, much like "Diary of a Mad Black Woman," Perry corrupts his simple message of empowerment with scenes of excessive violence from the protagonists. I'm talking most particularly about Medea's tendency to beat children. What message are we supposed to take away from this? Don't beat your wife, but feel free to beat your children?

The only things that make the movie even remotely watchable are Perry's performances as both Medea and Uncle Joe, both of which are hilarious characters. Besides that, the movie is a sappy mess.