Southern matriarch Madea has a lot on her plate. Her nieces, Vanessa and Lisa, have relationship troubles - Vanessa moves into Madea's house with her 2 young children and Lisa is engaged to a controlling man that her mother set her up with. In addition, Madea has just been court-ordered to become the guardian of Nikki, a rebellious runaway teenager. Madea must keep the peace and her family together while simultaneously planning her clan's reunion.
Nothing that happens seems the least bit believable, and everything is brash and loud. All that's missing is the laugh track.
– Randy Cordova,
Arizona Republic,
10 Mar 2006
fresh:
Perry's vaudevillian shamelessness and indifference to committee-approved taste are energizing and frequently jaw-dropping.
– Jim Ridley,
Village Voice,
7 Mar 2006
rotten:
Tyler Perry's heart is in the right place, but he still has a tin ear.
– Christy Lemire,
Associated Press,
7 Mar 2006
rotten:
At times it feels as if Perry made three separate films, dumped them in a blender and hit the puree button.
– Christy Lemire,
Deseret News, Salt Lake City,
3 Mar 2006
fresh:
Let's not sell Tyler Perry short. As the vinegar-witted Madea, he's a drag performer of testy charm, but in his overlit patchwork way he's also making the most primal women's pictures since Joan Crawford flexed her shoulder pads.