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Tyler Perry’s Madea’s Big Happy Family

TYLER PERRY’S MADEA’S BIG HAPPY FAMILY (Tyler Perry). 106 minutes. Opens Friday (April 22). See listing. Rating: NNN


Madea’s Big Happy Family is the latest in the crowd-pleasing franchise starring Tyler Perry’s tough-talking drag alter ego. This time the prolific writer/director/producer dons the matriarch’s silver wig and some hideous print dresses for an entertaining combination of broad laughs and sentiment.

After Madea’s niece Shirley (Loretta Devine) learns that her cancer has returned, she tries to gather her extended family together to tell them. But her three children – overworked real estate agent Kimberly (Shannon Kane), dissatisfied housewife Tammy (Natalie Desselle Reid) and Byron (Shad “Bow Wow” Moss), trying to stay straight after two years in jail – can’t seem to sit down to dinner without bickering and storming out.

In a purely comic subplot, Perry regulars Cora (Tamela J. Mann) and Brown (David Mann) confront their own health issues involving prostates (cue latex glove joke) and DNA testing, while Aunt Bam (Cassi Davis) is around to smoke dope and ogle attractive young black doctors.

Perry isn’t the subtlest of directors, but he knows how to mix up tears and laughs. With her earthy wit, impeccable timing and penchant for malapropisms, Madea is one of modern cinema’s great levellers, and though her rants go on far too long, she’s always fun to watch.

The film would be much thinner, however, without Devine, who underplays her role as a God-loving mother with grace, dignity and a lot of spirit.

glenns@nowtoronto.com

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