October 26, 2016 The Skanner Page 7 Arts & Entertainment FILM REVIEW: Tyler Perry Back in Drag for ‘Boo! A Madea Halloween’ PHOTO BY DANIEL MCFADDEN - © 2016 - LIONSGATE SHOWTIMES Tyler Perry in Boo! A Madea Halloween By Kam Williams For The Skanner News N o one has ever ac- cused Tyler Perry of being short on ideas. After all, the prolific writer/direc- tor has been the brains behind a profusion of plays, movies and televi- sion shows. But he would be the first to admit that he was not the source of inspiration for “Boo! A Madea Halloween,” the ninth in the Madea se- ries revolving around the sassy, sermonizing granny. Rather, the idea origi- nated with Chris Rock, who featured a fake poster for a film with the identical title in his 2014 comedy Top Five. Because the joke went viral, Tyler decided why not get back in drag and make a movie to meet the demand generated by the buzz. But “Boo!” definitely has a different feel from the previous Madea “ Note that the premise is established at the point of departure and promptly abandoned. It’s Halloween, and the head- strong high schooler and her girlfriends hope to attend an “epic” party being thrown at Upsilon Theta frat house. Since her divorced father (also played by Perry) will be otherwise occupied, it falls to Ma- dea to babysit Tiffany, to make sure the rebel- lious teen never leaves the house. Made arrives with an entourage of amusing misfits, includ- ing marijuana-addicted Aunt Bam (Cassi Davis), marble-mouthed Hat- tie (Patrice Lovely), and old fool Uncle Joe (also played by Perry). Soon, silly Hallow- een-themed one-liners, non sequiturs, slapstick and sight gags start flow- ing at a fast and furious rate that will undoubted- ly be appreciated by the target African American audience. Yet, many of The Madea found here is no longer that Bible-thumping role model reliably interfer- ing on behalf of an underdog in distress movies in that it is less your typical Tyler Per- ry morality play than a rudderless, kitchen sink comedy seizing on any excuse for a laugh. For the Madea found here is no longer that Bi- ble-thumping role model reliably interfering on behalf of an underdog in distress. Yes, one minute, she’s might be promot- ing old-fashioned values. However, there she is in the next scene exposing her breasts to lecherous frat boys. The film does feature a rudimentary plot revolv- ing around Madea’s 17 year-old grand-niece, Tif- fany (Diamond White). the punchlines are just as likely to be lost on those unable to decipher the often-inscrutable Eb- onics-laden exchanges. Brace yourself for the specter of self-righteous Madea serving up street justice to clowns, colle- giates, ghosts and gob- lins! Good HH Rated PG-13 for drug use, suggestive content, profanity, ethnic slurs, scary images and mature themes Running time: 103 min. To see a trailer for Boo! A Madea Halloween, go to TheSkanner.com. MASTERMINDS (PG-13) Fri-Thur: 2:05, 9:35 THE BEATLES: EIGHT DAYS A WEEK - THE TOURING YEARS (NR) Fri-Wed: 12:20, 6:30 Thur: 12:20 KUBO AND THE TWO STRINGS (PG) Fri-Thur: 12:00, 2:15, 4:30, 6:45 The Week of Friday, Oct. 28 through Thursday, Nov. 3, 2016 PETE’S DRAGON (PG) Fri-Thur: 4:15 JASON BOURNE (PG-13) Fri: 11:30, 7:00, 9:20 HALLOWEEN II (1981) (R) Fri-Thur: 4:55, 10:45 HALLOWEEN (1978) (R) Fri-Thur: 3:10, 9:00 $4.00 adults, $3.00 senior citizens (65+) $3.00 for kids (12 & under) 7818 SE Stark St, Portland, OR 97215 503-252-1707 • AcademyTheaterPdx.com Babysitting: Available for children 2 to 8 years old. Fri: shows after 3:30pm and before 8:00pm. Sat - Sun: all shows before 8:00pm. $9.50 per child for the length of the movie. Call to reserve a spot, no drop ins.