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“Reunion,” the follow-up to his “Diary of Mad Black Woman” (2005), plays even more addled than its uneven predecessor. But judging from the film of “Madea’s Family Reunion,” his second as writer/star and first as director, it seems that Perry fails to understand the strength of his own stage work and that, even with major revisions, it’s poison for the big screen.
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The immense success of Perry’s stage work, which has toured major cities for sold-out runs and is available on DVD, has convinced studio execs and Perry himself that Madea was made for the movies. The play works as a stand-up comic act with the benefit of human props and an honest-to-goodness down-home flavor. (Madea even formally excuses herself when a preacher gets going.) Although the serious moments make things lag, and at times get out of control, her energy resonates while the audience takes a quick breather and awaits her return. In “Reunion: the Play,” Perry gives his Madea a rest offstage by mixing in serious storylines – one concerns Madea’s granddaughter trying to get clean and sober – along with inspirational speeches and musical numbers. Madea fuels this loose-knit structure, while the supporting characters exist mainly as her targets.
#TYLER PERRY MADEA FAMILY REUNION THE PLAY SERIES#
Through his series of stage plays, Perry has perfected a vaudevillian format for his obnoxious character. At times madder than her ancient Greek namesake, wielding pistols or a backhand at an outweighed family member, Madea sets an over-the-top pace for this often hilarious farce. Madea), an oversized granny who throws non-stop insults at her opposing players. His stage version of “Madea’s Family Reunion” features himself as the “dragged”-up Mable Simmons (a.k.a. As a playwright, Tyler Perry delivers an innovative form of light entertainment.