A Madea Family Funeral (2019)

“Tyler Perry’s A Madea Family Funeral” stars Tyler Perry, Cassi Davis, Patrice Lovely, Ciera Payton, and KJ Smith.  Released on March 1, 2019, the film has Madea and her family traveling to Georgia to plan a funeral.

The film is written and directed by Tyler Perry, and it is the eleventh (and final) installment in the Madea film series.  There are plenty of things in the world that can really put someone in a depressing mood, such as negativity, violence, and funerals.  Especially funerals because seriously, no one likes saying good-bye to their loved ones as they ascend to the heavens when they passed away.  Luckily, we have someone who is able to make funerals more fun, for better or for worse.  After spending more than a decade wearing a dress and a wig, filmmaker/actor Tyler Perry is looking to send his beloved character off on a high note with what seems to be the final film in the successful franchise.  Even though I’m not a huge fan of the Madea films, I was able to enjoy at least a couple of them, except “Boo 2”.  That film was a pretty huge let down.  Fortunately, the trailers looked like it is bringing back the formula that we’re familiar with since 2005, but is it enough to deliver a hilarious and heartfelt conclusion to Tyler Perry’s 14-year-old series?

Similar to the other “Madea” films, “A Madea Family Funeral” once again involves the title character (Perry) and her crew getting caught in a series of melodramatic and comical events while learning some life lessons along the way.  That’s basically what you’re going to get out of a film that has an actor dressing up as a loud-mouthed elderly woman.  All you need to know about it is that if you like the other Madea films or the non-Madea films by Tyler Perry, there’s a good chance that you’ll have a fun time with this latest installment.  If not, well, you’re better off waiting for “Captain Marvel” because the film is unsurprisingly made just for the fans.  But enough about you, let’s talk about me and my feelings towards it.  As always, his intentions on representing a certain topic were both respectable and honest.  The major problems that kept him from reaching that potential was his execution and his low-quality filmmaking, and from the looks of this, he’s still struggling to conquer these problems.  If you guys think that “Boo 2” is the low point in the Madea series, then you haven’t seen “A Madea Family Funeral”.  Aside from Tyler Perry’s suitable performance as the title character, the film feels less like a fitting farewell to the woman we know and love for 14 years and more like an overly dramatic soap opera that would give “General Hospital” a run for its money.  Not only did the film suffer from its mediocre plot and mundane characters, but it also suffered from its inconsistent tone.  One minute, it’s a Lifetime drama filled with relationship issues and subpar acting.  The next, it’s a comedy skit that featured a bunch of old people holding a contest to see who can come up with the best insults.  When these two things come together, oh man, it’s just as messy as a popcorn spill at the movie theater.  What’s even worse is that most of the humor was either overdone or ridiculously dull.  There were a couple of scenes in the first act that felt drawn out, and yes, I am talking about the ones that involve Madea, Joe, Aunt Bam (Davis), and Hattie (Lovely).  This was the same problem that I had with “Boo! A Madea Halloween”, and this film signifies that Perry still hasn’t learned that lesson.  While I did appreciate the main actors for attempting to carry the film forward, I couldn’t say the same for the supporting actors.  I understand that they’re trying to be as dramatic as possible, but it sounded like they were trying way too hard to act like real people, with some of them acting like their favorite football team didn’t make it to the Super Bowl.  I’m pretty sure everybody else had that same feeling as well.

Overall, “A Madea Family Funeral” should please its target audience, but as a conclusion to the Madea saga, it’s nothing more than a lifeless body.  What should’ve been a sweet and funny farewell to Tyler Perry’s well-known character turned out to be the final nail on the franchise’s coffin.  Filled with so-so performances, dumb characters, and a bunch of jokes that were tedious and unfunny, the film proves that the concept has indeed overstayed its welcome.  As I mentioned before, if you like the Madea films and you’re interested in seeing it, you go right ahead and watch it.  Don’t let my review stop you from experiencing it for yourself.  You go to that theater and have a good time with your friends, family, or yourself.  As for those who aren’t fans of Madea, just don’t bother with it.

D-