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Parents' Guide to

Tyler Perry's Madea's Family Reunion

By Cynthia Fuchs, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 15+

Madea is back. Not meant for kids.

Movie PG-13 2006 107 minutes
Tyler Perry's Madea's Family Reunion Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

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age 15+

Based on 4 parent reviews

Syl_40
Syl_40 Adult
February 26, 2022
age 17+

Art Imitates Life. .

Art Imitates Life...even if that life is not YOURS. It may be someone else's story it is telling. Tyler Perry expertly tells the stories of people who are often silent. The themes are definitely of a mature nature. We live in a very broken world filled with broken people. When we perpetuate a false "healthy" reality in our homes, children receive many mixed messages when they go out into the world. This can be very damaging for them. Tyler Perry's characters are colorful and reflect who people can really be behind closed doors. I wish I had a Madea growing up! A REAL human being. Someone who has a moral compass, whose actions align with who she really is. Someone who lives her truth, and encourages others to live theirs. I believe this movie should only be viewed when parents are ready to have authentic conversations with their children about certain aspects of life.

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
decreeit
decreeit Adult
March 3, 2019
age 16+
tyler perry funny, talented but shame on me for not checking reviews before taking my daughter to see this movie. not kid appropriate. language throughout (f**k, b**ch), nudity, sexual content including visual effects of sexual enhance drug on male
See all 4 parent reviews

What's the Story?

TYLER PERRY'S MADEA'S FAMILY REUNION showcases the traditional wisdom of vibrant Madea Simmons (Tyler Perry, who also plays her brother Joe and nephew Brian). Madea's niece Lisa (Rochelle Aytes) is engaged to banker Carlos (Blair Underwood), a perfectionist who beats her. Lisa confesses her plight to her mother Victoria (Lynn Whitfield), who says "Women sometimes have to deal with things to be comfortable." Victoria's bad judgment also shows when it comes to Lisa's half-sister Vanessa (Lisa Arrindell Anderson), who meets Frank (Boris Kodjoe), who seems perfect for her. Still, Vanessa has reservations due to her tense relationship with Victoria, who treats her as a "failure" and focuses on Lisa's upcoming wedding. As Vanessa is currently living with Madea, the matriarch finds plenty of opportunities to offer opinions on her nieces' situations. Madea also has a new addition to her household, foster child Nikki (Keke Palmer). Madea pushes her to do well in school and believe in herself after learning that a previous foster parent told Nikki she could only make a living "on [her] back".

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (4 ):
Kids say (1 ):

Directed by Perry, this sequel to Diary of a Mad Black Woman is broadly comic and pushes the PG-13 envelope on content. While the sequel shows more confidence and better production values, Madea's Family Reunion essentially repeats the first plot: Madea advises an abused relative on how to save herself. While Madea provides Nikki with a stable home and emotional encouragement, she serves a different function for the film's audience by performing unsubtle comedy like beating Nikki with a belt, trash talking, and threatening (humorously) to beat or kill those who disobey her. It's funny, and sets Madea apart from those she counsels -- they had better not do as she does.

The Madea franchise is premised on this excessive characterization, and audiences love the character. Still, she can be repetitive, and this film is unevenly paced and predictable. Alternately boisterous, syrupy, and endearing, the film bolsters Madea's belief in family strength-in-unity by community-building, history-remembering, spirit-reviving speeches by Maya Angelou and Cicely Tyson, who show up at the reunion and final scene's wedding.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the strong ties among family members in Madea's Family Reunion, and the power of forgiveness (why is it important that Vanessa forgives her mother, even though Victoria allowed her husband to abuse Vanessa sexually as a child?).

  • How does Lisa feel trapped in her relationship with Carlos? How is Victoria's determination to have her daughter marry a wealthy man explained, so she remains "sympathetic"?

  • How does Madea promote traditional values with practical/comic solutions (hitting an abuser with a frying pan)?

Movie Details

  • In theaters: February 24, 2006
  • On DVD or streaming: June 27, 2006
  • Cast: Blair Underwood , Lynn Whitfield , Tyler Perry
  • Director: Tyler Perry
  • Inclusion Information: Black directors, Black actors, Female actors
  • Studio: Lionsgate
  • Genre: Comedy
  • Run time: 107 minutes
  • MPAA rating: PG-13
  • MPAA explanation: for mature thematic material, domestic violence, sex and drug references.
  • Last updated: June 1, 2023

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