Where does “A Madea Homecoming” rank in the Madea Cinematic Universe?
Tyler Perry ’s famous character Madea has appeared in nearly half of his films: a gun-toting, “Hallelu-yer”-shouting force of nature, and an outrageous drag tribute to his mother and aunt. But some movies in the Madea Cinematic Universe are gleefully manic, while others arrive in what appears to be a half-finished state of sad melodrama and mediocrity. Not counting her cameo in “Meet the Browns,” or “Madea’s Tough Love,” here’s our favorite Madea mayhem: Lionsgate 11. “Madea’s Witness Protection” (2012) This was the second-highest-grossing Madea movie to date, but it came along at a time when Perry was making minor noise about retiring the character, and it shows. The film looks cheap even by Perry’s budget-minded standards, the jokes are flat, and the director appears tired of the role, having almost no comic rapport with co-star Eugene Levy. Lionsgate 10. “Madea’s Family Reunion” (2006) The follow-up to Madea’s debut in “Diary of a Mad Black Woman,” this movie proves that less Madea screen time means less entertainment. A dramatic abusive-fiancé storyline dominates the film, as do side characters’ preparations for a wedding and family reunion. Madea’s presence is limited to dispensing homespun wisdom to young Keke Palmer, a now-infamous line about shooting Tupac for a parking space, and the delivery of Oprah Winfrey ’s “All my life I had to fight…” speech from “The Color Purple.” Chip Bergman/Lionsgate 9. “Boo 2! A Madea Halloween” (2017) The first one made money, so Madea gets to be scared stupid all over again in a sequel so sluggish and haphazardly thrown together that it makes the first one seem like classic comedy by comparison. Madea spends most of the film sitting in a Cadillac and having her most florid swears awkwardly dubbed into softer versions. 8. “A Madea Family Funeral” (2019) Perry says this is the last Madea movie, and maybe it’s time if this inert effort is all he can muster for his signature comic creation. Madea tends to do a lot of sitting around in this one — a dramedy about infidelity and sudden death — mocking the stupidity of those around her or dispensing old-fashioned life advice.
