After a high-speed car chase, Madea winds up behind bars because her quick temper gets the best of her. Meanwhile, Assistant District Attorney Josh Hardaway lands a case that's too personal to handle: that of a young prostitute and former drug addict named Candace, also a childhood friend. When Candace winds up in jail, Madea takes the young woman under her protective wing.
As ridiculous as his films frequently are, Perry, a shrewd yet benevolent showman, knows and loves his audience.
– Melissa Anderson,
Village Voice,
25 Feb 2009
rotten:
The women's prison dramedy I wanted never really happens.
– Wesley Morris,
Boston Globe,
23 Feb 2009
rotten:
Perry's playing-to-the-cheap-seats drag shenanigans hijack a morose street melodrama every 15 minutes and haul it into places even Flavor Flav fears to tread.
– Nathan Rabin,
AV Club,
23 Feb 2009
fresh:
Adapting his own play, Perry has pared the plot way back while giving his law-breaking matriarch more room to run free.
– Elizabeth Weitzman,
New York Daily News,
23 Feb 2009
rotten:
Perry brings his own sensibility to every movie he makes and has enjoyed great success by following his own path. But he leaves you wanting more.