Rachel Review: Tyler Perry returns for another “Madea” cash grab

Madea is back and I’m more over it than ever. Tyler Perry’s new Madea movie, “A Madea Homecoming” was released to Netflix on Feb. 25. This is the first Madea movie to receive an R rating giving Madea the chance to finally not have to bite her tongue and let it all out. Since Perry’s Madea movies never really change, there will be some spoilers ahead. 

In “A Madea Homecoming” Madea’s great-grandson is graduating from college and her whole family has come to celebrate and be there for him. With everyone back at the house, the great-grandson Tim comes out to his family as gay. This revelation is well received as the whole family was aware. It’s the revelations between Tim’s mother, Tim’s mother’s best friend, father and roommate Davi that are yet to be accepted. While all this is happening, Davi’s aunts from Ireland come to the graduation and get the Madea family experience. 

As far as all the Madea movies I have had the chance of watching, this one isn’t as deep as the others. The family has still grown, but there is more of a focus on Madea in this movie. Madea continues to help her family and gives her insightful wisdom, but the movie was more of a “let’s do fun stuff and spectacle” movie than one with a message. At the very least, we received more of a back story on Madea.

In a bit of a crossover event Brendan O’Carroll, known for acting as Agnes Brown in an Irish sitcom, joins “A Madea Homecoming” as one of Davi’s aunts. I wouldn’t say what was missing from all the other Madea movies was a second man cross dressing, but it certainly didn’t hurt. 

Aunt Agnes and Madea together on screen create some hilarious moments through misunderstood accents and old wisdom. Both giving crazy back stories and their views on raising kids, while of course getting high. At the end of the movie, there is room left for a sequel for the two to join together again.

To reiterate, the family story is something to fast forward through. It’s Madea’s scenes that are the most entertaining. In a flashback sequence we have kind of another crossover except this time with the historical figure Rosa Parks. Without giving too much away, “A Madea Homecoming” has a funny take that Rosa Parks stayed on the bus for more than one reason. 

The movie throws in random commentary about the world and society today leaving the impression that Perry was just trying to take up time. That is basically the whole movie, time filling spectacles and funny dialogue to get a good check from Netflix. 

The Madea moments are good and worth a watch if you really missed Madea since the last movie. What is really worthwhile is Perry’s recreation of Beyonce’s “Homecoming” dressed as Madea during the end credits. This makes the end credits more worthwhile than the entire movie.