 KSL Movie Show Review:...
TYLER PERRY’S MEET THE BROWNS * By Steve Salles Standard Examiner movie critic GO: If you’ll watch a Tyler Perry movie no matter what he throws on the screen. DON’T GO: if you thought that included something along the lines of entertainment. It’s about time Tyler Perry put some real weight into one of his movies (and I don’t mean that cranky old granny Madea character he likes to dress up for). As soon as I heard Oscar nominated Angela Bassett was going to star in this film, I thought not even Tyler Perry can make her look bad. Wow - was I ever wrong. Brenda (Bassett) is running into hard times with her small family in Chicago. She’s just lost her job, has very little food in the house and her basketball-talented son Michael (Lance Gross) has to play his high school games in worn out sneakers. Suddenly, word comes that a father Brenda never knew has passed away in Georgia. Along with the notice comes bus tickets for Brenda and her three children to travel to the funeral, only no one there knows who she really is. The realization that “old papa was a rolling stone” comes as a shock to some in the Brown family, but not to everyone, because before the man became a Deacon in Georgia, he was a pimp in Chicago (not making this up). The bigger surprise is that the absentee dad has left Brenda an old rental house - and I mean old - older than Madea and dirt. Adding to the enticement to possibly stick around, a local high school basketball coach and college scout (former Laker mimbo Rick Fox) sees the skills of young Michael, but is more impressed with his yummy mummy. However for the thrice-burned Brenda, she has learned to trust no one - especially big smiling pretty boys like Fox. Intermixed in this family nightmare are those patented Tyler Perry goofs he’s most famous for, including an overcooked melodrama at the funeral and the old fussbudget Madea involved in a low-speed police chase ala O.J. that comes out of nowhere - not to mention ridiculously outdated. Tossed into this lame, stereotypical quagmire is a hotheaded Latina (Sofia Vergara) who constantly calls Brenda “mamasita” and threatens to “keel” anyone who gets in her face. Or the screeching. drunken Vera (Jenifer Lewis) who could make dogs cry from a block away with her voice. There are so many others, I don’t even know where to turn and so I won’t. Most of the story, such as it is, feels made up as it went along and I, as well as the lovely woman who will never speak to me again for dragging her to this awful film, sat there completely stunned and incredulous. I’m done with Tyler Perry - and believe me - I’ve tried. It doesn’t even feel like he cares anymore and yet people pay good money to see this atrocious material simply because he always inserts a thread of goodness or a little speech about trusting in God and calls it good. This is easily one of the worst films I’ve seen this year and if I ever have to “Meet the Browns” again, I’m taking a flying leap off a very tall building. Yes, it’s THAT bad. THE FILM: “Meet the Browns” OUR RATING: * STARRING: Angela Bassett, Rick Fox, Lance Gross, David Mann and Tamela J. Mann BEHIND THE SCENES: Written and directed by Tyler Perry (“Madea’s Family Reunion” “Why Did I Get Married?”) - filmed in Chicago and Atlanta PLAYING: Running time: 100 minutes MPAA RATING: PG-13
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