Tyler Perry's Boo2! A Madea Halloween Opens

By Darlene Donloe

At the premiere for Tyler Perry’s Boo2! A Madea Halloween, Perry himself started off the night by telling the packed theater, “To all the academy members in the house, you ain’t gon’ like this shit.”

Maybe he was thinking of the film’s 2016 predecessor, Tyler Perry’s Boo! A Madea Halloween, that felt the wrath of less than impressed critics.

To his credit, for bad or for worse, Perry knows his audience. He knows what they like and he knows how to give them what they want. And, it would seem, they want as much of Madea as they can get.

Well, whether it’s a trick or a treat, Madea, Bam (Cassi Davis) and Hattie (Patrice Lovely) are back in Tyler Perry’s Boo2! A Madea Halloween, opening nationwide Friday, Oct. 20.

This time the wacky trio, accompanied by Madea’s brother, Joe, set out to save Brian’s daughter, Tiffany, from the bogeyman.

Tiffany (Diamond White), has just turned 18 and is ready to sow her wild oats. Once again, she wants to party with the frat brothers, but the venue has changed. This time the party is in a spooky campsite where a number of unsolved murders occurred.

Brian doesn’t want her to go, but Debrah (Taja V. Simpson) Tiffany’s mother, thinks it’s time to loosen the reigns on her daughter – so she allows her to go to the party.

As the party revs up, mayhem ensues. Creepy men with chainsaws and little creepy girls appear – scaring the crap out of everyone.

Madea, Bam, Hattie and Joe to the rescue!  Well, maybe! All four pile into Madea’s car and drive to the haunted campground where they find themselves running for their lives from the evil that inhabits the grounds.  

There are some very funny moments in the film – not enough to sustain the 100 minutes, but enough to get several giggles. Perry’s patented banter between the characters is what keeps the film moving. That being said, it’s redundant. It’s almost the same in every scene. The editing is a bit jumpy and the dialogue is weak and uneven.

(l-r) Cassi Davis, Patrice Lovely and Tyler Perry
Photo by Chip Bergman/Lionsgate

Boo 2 is written by, directed by and stars Perry in three roles (Madea, Joe, and Brian). Perry gives Joe the best lines. Joe’s dialogue is deliciously naughty bordering on creepy sex fiend.

Here’s the deal - Tyler Perry and Madea fans will probably find the film appealing.  It’s not award-winning material, but if you just want to sit, forget what’s going on in the world – and get a few laughs – you might like this film.

Tyler Perry’s BOO2! A Madea Halloween stars Tyler Perry, Cassi Davis, Patrice Lovely, Yousef Erakat, Diamond White, Lexy Panterra, Andre Hall, Brock O’Hurn, and Tito Ortiz.

Rated PG-13 for sexual references, drug content, language and some horror images. Running time: 100 min.

On the DONLOE SCALE: D (don’t bother), O (oh, no), N (needs work), L (likable), O (oh, yeah) and E (excellent), Tyler Perry’s BOO2! A Madea Halloween (Lionsgate) gets a L (likable).