Madea Goes To Jail (2008/Tyler Perry/Lionsgate DVD)
Picture: C+
Sound: C+ Extras: C+ Film: C+
Tyler Perry has had a mixed relationship with his Madea persona,
damning it as limiting, yet also accepting it as a way to tell stories like no
one else. The character has been with
him and part of his major success since he started having hit plays many years
ago. The feature film version of Madea
Goes To Jail (2008) is once again an adaptation of one of his plays, minus
the musical parts. This time, however,
it is padded out with too many in-jokes, name cameos and other bells and
whistles that stop it from being as good as it could have been.
You can read more about the play at this link:
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/6267/Tyler+Perry+%E2%80%93+The+Plays
Needless to say, Madea’s self will finally gets her
arrested after a court date and one in which the best lawyer cannot shut her up,
then jail will never be the same again.
Derek Luke, Keshia Knight Pulliam and Viola Davis are among the cast and
the many cameos include Dr. Phil (though his Sesame Street version, Dr. Feel,
would have been more welcome) and other TV personalities that junk up this version
of what was one of the funnier plays.
Also, will Perry ever do a musical version of Madea on the big
screen? Maybe that will take a new
project or it I something he is saving for the plays to keep them special. Either way, this is watchable, but we
recommend the play first.
The anamorphically enhanced 1.78 X 1 image is not bad, but
softer than a new film should be with limited depth and detail in
particular. The Dolby Digital 5.1 and
2.0 mixes are dialogue-based and only use surrounds so well. Wonder if they’d be better if this was a
musical? Extras include six featurettes
and trailers.
- Nicholas Sheffo
