Tyler Perry’s ninth outing as the aggressively profane granny tells the story of Brian Simmons, a sheepish father, trying to do what’s right for his rebellious daughter Tiffany.

When Brian leaves for work over the weekend, he asks Madea to house sit and make sure Tiffany doesn’t sneak off to a frat party that’s taking place on Halloween night. Sure enough, Tiffany goes against her father’s wishes and chaotic hilarity ensues as Madea unleashes her unique brand of justice on the unsuspecting fraternity in “Boo! A Madea Halloween.”

Directing 3/5

With this being the latest of many other Madea productions, director Tyler Perry has certainly got the rhythm down of his characters and the over the top predicaments they often find themselves in. While it’s nothing top notch, as with the rest of the Madea series, this latest entry won’t win over any newcomers. However, it’s sure to satisfy longtime fans.

Perry has always had an intriguing talent for having family drama, lesson learning and wild antics mix together in an evenly paced plot. It is because Perry can execute this structure so well that “A Madea Halloween” is entertaining to watch.

Writing 3/5

The mix of humor and drama are surprisingly even throughout the course of the film. For a majority of the film, there is quick-paced verbal humor with some slapstick mixed in. But when the dramatic elements come to play, it doesn’t feel forced.

“A Madea Halloween” gets serious at the most natural points in the plot and that makes these scenes more impactful; they happen when they need to happen and not a moment before. The message at the center of the film is, thankfully, never too preachy.

While some jokes and one-liners are missed or are slightly ill-fitting, the humor is all in good taste, riding the line between vulgar and appropriate, dipping in on either side when it needs to. In this way, the jokes in the film are never  eye rollingly raunchy or a drag out dud fest.

Some scenes or dialogue may seem unnecessary or pointless at first but they eventually work together to move the plot along.

Acting 2/5

The highlight of this movie is Tyler Perry as Madea herself. Her violently overreactive yet caring personality, is an entertaining performance to watch. Perry also plays the dad, Brian, along with Brother Joe, Madea’s brother and Brian’s father. Joe and Madea are engaging to watch, but Perry’s performance as Brian could have used more conviction.

Cassie Davis and Patrice Lovely as Aunt Bam and Hattie Love respectively round out the foursome made of themselves, Madea and Joe. They are a jovial bunch, riffing off each other and a large source of the comedy in the film. The rest of the cast, including Diamond White as Tiffany, Liza Koshy as her friend Aday, and Yousef Erakrat as the fraternity president Jonathan are decidedly one note characters.

Overall

“Boo! A Madea Halloween” certainly isn’t for everyone. If you are a fan of Tyler Perry’s Madea and her wild antics, then you’ll find much of the same amusement here. If not, then feel free to pass this up for a scarier flick this Halloween season.