Madea's Destination Wedding, starring Tyler Perry, centers on Tiffany's wedding ceremony, something that shocks her father, Brian. Following Brian and Debrah's divorce, he's become very protective of Tiffany and her brother, BJ. Meanwhile, Debrah has married a rich man named Dennis and has been using his money to spoil her children. She's essentially used the lure of materialism to lure Tiffany and BJ away from Brian and make them love her more than him. And Brian has been so ignorant about the whole thing that it comes as a shock when he discovers that everyone but him knows Tiffany is madly in love with a guy named Zavier.
Brian tries everything he can to get Zavier away from Tiffany—including a stalking session led by Madea, Joe, Bam, Cora, and Brown—but fails. To top it all off, Debrah triggers Brian's paternal instinct, and he immediately relents, making him the sole payer for a wedding in the Bahamas he's not entirely on board with. Unable to accept this situation, Brian conducts a secret investigation to "unmask" Zavier, while Madea tries to uncover Debrah's true intentions. However, in the process, they forget to consider Tiffany's feelings and turn a happy occasion into a disaster.
Director: Tyler Perry
Writer: Tyler Perry
Stars: Tyler Perry, Cassi Davis, David Mann
99% of "Madea's Destination Wedding" is an advertisement for Atlantis Bahamas, and 1% of the film has anything to do with the "plot." Perry is so dedicated to showing off every square inch of the hotel that has kindly hosted his cast and crew that he forgets the "destination" part of his film's title. Yes, much of the film takes place at the hotel, so much so that I started to feel claustrophobic. The dialogue caused such a stir about going to the Bahamas that I thought at the very least we could get a tour of the beautiful scenery to make the lackluster performances and pointless narrative palatable. But expecting the least from Perry, especially in a Madea film, is the audience's fault.
He's here to put minimal effort into his projects, make as much money as possible, and then do it all over again. And he has such a cult following that he doesn't have to worry about the criticism leveled at him or his art. As long as he keeps making a lot of money, he can keep going until the end of time. The only good thing about Perry, at least for now, is that his films and series exist in a vacuum and don't affect the entertainment industry at large. He creates things for his audience. His audience devours them. He doesn't acquire any intellectual property. His audience doesn't expect other studios and directors to emulate his style. It's a vicious cycle. The day we start to see an overlap between Perry's work and something else, we can panic.
The funny thing is, Tyler Perry's Madea movies weren't always like this. Yes, I know I'm the last person who would expect to see Madea movies gearing up for the final installment (this is the thirteenth installment of the true MCU, i.e., the Madea Cinematic Universe), but I did. Diary of a Mad Black Woman, Madea's Family Reunion, Meet the Browns, I Can Do Bad Alone, Madea's Witness Protection (the best one ever), and A Madea Christmas were all really good. I mean, they had themes. The riffs were sublime. The performances were good. Some had excellent songs. But something happened before Boo! A Madea Halloween, and Perry just stopped caring. And it seems that's how it will continue to be for the rest of her career.
The state of her filmmaking and storytelling is so awful it makes me wonder if she even wants to be in this profession anymore. If you look at the credits for Madea's Destination Wedding, you can see that she's incorporated generative AI into her work. That's about as anti-art as anyone can do. What's stopping them from producing movies and shows that are made entirely of generative AI? As long as the Tyler Perry brand is on it, her fans will celebrate. To be honest, it's disturbing and bleak, but at least this cycle of upward failure remains self-contained. The day this metaphorical virus breaks out, it'll be pandemonium, and I'll be trying to get front-row seats because who doesn't love watching a train wreck? The funny thing is, I'm not even kidding right now.
Now, let me talk about what Madea's Destination Wedding is trying to convey, because, believe it or not, there are relevant comments. Well, for starters, Perry addresses male insecurity, especially when it comes to making decisions about children. Responsible fathers are certainly rare, but finding one who trusts his children's ability to decide for themselves is like looking for a needle in a haystack. And the film attempts to address these men and tell them that they don't have to make their lives so complicated for themselves and their loved ones.
People make mistakes and learn from them, but if you shield them from those experiences because you "care" too much, they won't learn anything. Be their rock, not their prison. Perry also makes some key points about all the hype surrounding destination weddings and how they achieve nothing but a huge dent in the host's bank account. If you truly love someone, does it really matter whether you marry them on an island or in your backyard? Marriage is an important step in life, but if it all goes south, what good will those glorious photos do? This brings us to the film's most important and ironic point: being ethical. You only have one life, and if you sever all ties, becoming a morally reprehensible creature, full of greed and evil, you'll end up alone and unloved. If that's okay with you, then continue. That said, I conclude this review by saying don't see this film if you haven't seen all the previous ones. If you're familiar with this franchise, you don't need my recommendation.
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