Information for Parents
Common Sense Media says Iffy for 14+
Madea is back. Not meant for kids.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that this film includes several scenes of violence, some dramatic and some comic. A man abuses his fiancée repeatedly, slapping, walloping, and shaking her, threatening to throw her out a window and throwing her to the floor. Madea threatens violence as punishment (she will "tear that ass up," for example), and in some scenes acts on her warning: She slaps a boy in the head and hits her foster child with a belt for skipping school; she advises her niece on revenge for her abuse, and eventually the niece throws hot grits on her abuser and then beats him with a frying pan. At the reunion, the family matriarchs chastise the younger generation for playing craps, arguing, and dancing provocatively (we see examples of all these bad behaviors). Characters refer to sexual activity and use slang ("get some"), including prostitution (one character says her mother was a "whore"). Characters drink beer, wine, and champagne, and refer to "weed," "the chronic," and "a fix."
- Families can talk about the strong ties among family members, 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)?
The good stuff
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Positive messages: Madea knows best, phrasing and acting on her wisdom in raucous fashion; her language is crude and her solutions are comically violent.
What to watch for
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Violence: Includes both dramatic and comic violence: Carlos hits Lisa several times, leaving bruises on her face and chest, threatens to throw her out their window; Lisa eventually throws hot grits at Carlos' face and hits him repeatedly; Victoria slaps Vanessa, who punches her back; Madea slaps a boy who bullies Nikki, hits Nikki with a belt, and several times talks about "tearing that ass up," and other slang for her disciplinary methods.
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Sexy stuff: Carlos removes Lisa's negligee to prepare for her bath (we see her bare shoulders); fiancés appear in bed; a man asks another if he plans to "get some" on a date; an abusive man kisses his fiancé possessively; several references to sex and genitals, a girl is told she's only "smart enough" to "lie on [her] back" a woman reveals her mother gave her (as a child) to her stepfather for sex; teenaged girls wear short shorts, midriff shirts, and dance provocatively.
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Language: Moderate language, including s-word, "damn," "hell," and "bitch," as well as slang ("crap," "balls," "wide load" for Madea's large behind).
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Consumerism: Heineken beer visible; Bloomingdale's exterior visible; reference to Roc-A-Wear.
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Drinking, drugs and smoking: Drinking of wine and beer at parties and nightclubs; characters drink champagne in a couple of scenes at home; characters refer to "weed," "the chronic," and a junkie mother selling her daughter for "a fix."