Madea’s Boo 2
Doesn’t disappoint
By Rob Flores Contributor
“Madea’s Boo 2” debuted in theaters last Friday and was hilarious from beginning to end. The low production budget of $25 million ended up being worth every penny.
The multi-faceted Tyler Perry reprises his roles as Madea, Brian Simmons and Uncle Joe in this sequel. The movie’s focus is on Brain’s relationship with his daughter, Tiffany, in a typical parent-child conflict. Like any college freshman, Tiffany (Diamond White) wants to have fun and party with fraternity boys on Halloween at the notorious Lake Derrek. Tiffany, being the rebellious daughter she is, goes behind her father’s back to attend the party. Madea and her espionage interfere with Tiffany’s plan, creating the shining comedic moments in the movie.
An aspect of “Boo 2” that brought the movie to life was its strong characters. Uncle Joe is definitely one who stands out. His bold character is admirable, especially when he stands up to a ghoulish girl harassing people at the lake. He is also the one who confronts the masked individual terrorizing people with a chainsaw.
However, the movie’s stereotypical characters can be a nuisance. In “Boo 2,” Dino, a returning character from the original, falls into the label of “horndog” fraternity boy and conceited jock who desires only to party and hit on women. He persistently courts Gabriella (Inanna Sarkis) and it’s something audiences can get tired of seeing. But what’s interesting is, if we look at other horror films, it is predictable that the frat boy will die and, unfortunately, Dino survives.
The movie did have its share of flaws, including an unaddressed confusion about who the masked man was. His identity is never revealed. Another weakness was the exclusion of two traditional characters from Madea films, Mr. Brown and Cora — characters I wished were featured because they would have complemented the movie with their comedic duo banter.
Nonetheless, Madea’s “Boo 2” captures the hearts of teenagers and families alike. The movie didn’t overdo sexually suggestive scenes as some horror films tend to and it was refreshing to see mixed martial arts icon Tito Ortiz portray a nurturing father instead of being cast in an aggressive role. Moreover, I liked how the movie brought together a colorful cast of actors.
There is a specific scene in which Madea has a hilarious confrontation with a grim reaper that will have you uncontrollably laughing. That character-driven humor encapsulates why this movie is so great and not just your average B-movie horror flick.
