Madea's Witness Protection

Tyler Perry has to be one of the best comedy writers in Hollywood today, however that isn't giving Perry too much credit considering most of the comedies in Hollywood today are mediocre at best. But, more so, Perry can write anything, not just comedy but drama as well i.e. this year's "Good Deeds". So coming off that drama, he had to come back to what Perry does best, and that is Madea, and this incarnation is in the form of "Madea's Witness Protection".

As investment banker George Needleman (Eugene Levy) goes off to work on a Saturday so as to catch up on some things, and arrives only to find everyone running around, shredding documents and such including his co-worker, Walter (Tom Arnold) who informs George to shred everything. George is clueless about what's happening and Walter lets him know that the company was involved, through the mob, in a huge Ponzi scheme, and they made George the 'fall guy' in case something goes awry which it did. He then ends up in the District Attorney's office trying to explain his situation. DA Brian Simmons (Perry) believes him, so decides to put he and his family under a witness protection program, but where?
This scenes exits to his Aunt Madea (Perry) in which Brian feels would be the perfect place for the Needleman's. Madea and her brother, Joe (Perry) don't want to have anything to do with this until Brian lays on her that it pays 4,000/month. Decision made!
It becomes very clear that Madea has to come to the rescue when it comes to this family and how the kids walk all over the parents and a neighborhood kid, Jake (Romeo Miller) who has a secret of his own in which he needs to deal with which inadvertently is connected with the company that George was linked to.

Others to round out the cast are Denise Richards as Kate, George's wife, Doris Roberts as Barbara, George's somewhat demented mother, John Amos as Pastor Nelson, Marla Gibbs as Hattie, Danielle Campbell as Cindy, George's daughter, and Devan Leos as Howie, George and Kate's son.

This was written, co-produced and directed by the incomparable Tyler Perry ("Diary of a Mad Black Woman" '02, "Madea's Class Reunion" '06, "Meet the Browns" '08, "Madea Goes to Jail" '09, "I Can Do Bad All by Myself" '09, "For Colored Girls" '10, "Madea's Big Happy Family" '11, "Good Deeds" '12). Perry is real big on message, even his comedies have an element of that, but he does know how to execute the message in an entertaining way where it can and does effect people in the positive.

Think about it. An white upper middle-class family being thrown into a black regular middle-class family is an incredibly funny premise, and since I believe the wide appeal that the character of Madea has with people is that she's willing to say what's on her mind not worrying about the possible consequences, makes this work, because wish they could be like Madea, but aren't willing to take the risk. You might not agree with everything that comes out of Madea's mouth, but you'll respect her for it all the while laughing in your seat.

Out of 4 stars: 3.5                       Rated: PG-13                           114min.