Madea on the Run: The Play Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.0
Video		3.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		0.0
Overall		2.0

Madea on the Run: The Play Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman February 13, 2017

I have come to the unavoidable conclusion that should something untoward ever happen to Tyler Perry, our nation’s GDP is going to plummet precipitously and financial ruin for all of us is certainly in store. Perry, whether you like him or not, is a protean talent, one seemingly incapable of not producing, whether it’s films, television, or in the case, a play that, like other Perry pieces, has been committed to home video. Perry just seems to relentlessly churn out material, and while some curmudgeons (ahem) may fault him for emphasizing quantity over quality, there's little doubt that Perry's now patented approach has repeatedly resonated with his own large and appreciative audience. Once again the imperious Madea (Tyler Perry) finds herself in a bit of legal trouble, and decides the best way to stay anonymous is to hang out at the home of Aunt Bam (Cassi Davis). That, of course, is merely a plot contrivance to get Madea, a control freak if ever there were one, into a situation where seemingly nothing is in control. Hilarity may or may not ensue, depending on your personal reaction to typical Perry shenanigans, but a fairly predictable assortment of dysfunctions unfolds before Madea can wrestle everything back into something approaching unity.

As with some other filmed plays by Perry which have come to Blu-ray, this is an ostensible musical (with several tunes of course co-written by Perry because—well, Tyler Perry), and Madea on the Run begins with the kind of spiritual that typically ends Perry affairs. It’s a disjunctive beginning to an intermittently amusing piece, one that finds further detours when, for example, Madea makes her entrance and then immediately breaks the fourth wall by humorously lambasting latecomers to the theater for still arriving and walking down the aisles. Other slightly less obvious moments come to those really paying attention, as Perry repeatedly seems about to pull a “Carol Burnett Show” and completely lose it right there ostensibly in character, due to what he evidently feels are unbelievably comic moments onstage.

Madea doesn’t actually make her entrance until quite some time has passed, allowing Perry to introduce this particular group of addled family members. The focus is on Cherry (Rhonda Davis), who is dealing both with a philandering husband as well as two daughters who are both unhappy in love and with each other. It’s a resolutely traditional “stew” that Perry has offered in untold previous entries, and those who find nourishment in this by now standard recipe will no doubt respond to the silliness and forced pathos that is part and parcel of this escapade as well.

Madea on the Run: The Play Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Tyler Perry's Madea on the Run is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Lionsgate Films with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.78:1. While there's nothing too serious to complain about with regard to this live performance, midrange shots and wide shots often exhibit slight fuzziness and unevenness that make me wonder if one camera was perhaps malfunctioning somehow (see screenshot 3). Otherwise, this is a bright, colorful and well detailed offering that Perry tries to make more cinematic by using a lot of techniques like dissolves (fairly relentlessly during the musical moments especially). Close-ups offer good levels of fine detail, where things like lavaliers can easily be spotted taped to the performers' faces or heads. Patterns on things like dress fabrics or even the pillows on Bam's couch resolve without any problem. There are occasional deficits in shadow definition, especially toward the wings, though the bulk of the stage is well lit and provides ample illumination to support generally fine detail levels.

Madea on the Run: The Play Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Tyler Perry's Madea on the Run features a robust sounding DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track that frankly only really spreads convincingly through the surround channels during the musical numbers. Otherwise, often cacophonous dialogue sequences are delivered with good fidelity while being anchored front and center.

Madea on the Run: The Play Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The only so-called extras on this disc are trailers for other Lionsgate releases and bookmarks, neither of which I consider scorable supplements.

Madea on the Run: The Play Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Fans of Tyler Perry probably couldn't care less what any high falutin' critic might think of their idol's latest, but I will gladly admit that anyone who finds Perry as Madea hilarious will probably get at least a giggle or two out of the proceedings here. That said, this is a strictly by the numbers affair, with a family in disarray getting some tough love from the no nonsense Madea. It's all been seen before in any number of Perry entries, and will no doubt be seen again—maybe as soon as tomorrow, given Perry's output.