Meet the Browns DVD

DVD Review by Kam Williams

Headline: DVD of Tyler Perry Romance Drama Features Rick Fox and Angela Bassett

This modern morality play from Tyler Perry explores such universal themes as abandonment, trust, faith and redemption on its way to resolving the challenges facing Brenda (Angela Bassett), a single-mother of three struggling to survive in the projects on the south side of Chicago. At the point of departure, we find her living paycheck-to-paycheck and having to choose between paying her bills and putting food on the table.
She soon bottoms-out when she loses her job the same day she learns of the death of the father she never knew. Fortunately, Brenda heeds the advice of her best friend Cheryl (Sofia Vergara), to attend the funeral in Georgia.
Upon arriving, she and the kids are not only introduced to their long-lost relatives, but also to a knight in shining armor named Harry (Rick Fox). Handsome Harry is a basketball scout who has the answer to their every problem, if only the thrice-burnt Brenda will let her guard down long enough to allow this good man to sign her high school phenom son (Lance Gross) to a pro contract, to buy her a house and to ask for her hand in marriage.
In the interim, the movie devotes plenty of time to getting acquainted with the Browns, as clownish a clan as you could hope to meet, starting with Leroy, an egg-head with the most garish wardrobe imaginable. Then there’s his morbidly obese daughter Cora (Tamela Mann), and the shrewish Vera (Jenifer Lewis), a witch with nothing nice to say about anybody.
As the plot works its way towards its predictable payoff, Brenda starts to warm to her perfect gentleman suitor. Though too laced with silly slapstick to measure up to the best of Perry’s previous offerings, this flick is still hilarious enough in spots to be well worth watching.

Very Good (3 stars)
PG-13 for profanity, violence, mature themes, sexual references and drug use.
Running time: 101 minutes
Studio: Lions Gate Home Entertainment
2-Disc DVD Extras: A digital version of the film plus four featurettes.