Tyler Perrys Why Did I Get Married Too?

Secrets, lies, jealousy, anger.  If you’re hoping for a ‘warm and fuzzy’ second look at our favorite married couples, forget about it.  Tyler Perry’s “Why Did I Get Married Too?” is a marriage reality check from hell.  Yes, the gang is back, but things have changed.  This time, they are in a tropical setting, the Bahamas to be exact, where the weather may be hot, but the drama is hotter–on fire.
The opening box office numbers ranked “Why Did I Get Married Too?” in second place after “Clash of the Titans” with over $30 million in box office receipts.  It proved that loyal Perry fans couldn’t wait to see what the four couples are up to now.
Inklings of trouble in paradise start early.  It seems Dianne (Sharon Leal) is a little too happy for Terry (Tyler Perry), money woes plague Shelia (Jill Scott) and Troy (Lamman Rucker), the big announcement of Patricia (Janet Jackson) not only stuns the group, but Gavin (Malik Yoba) as well, and Angela (Tasha Smith) is Angela, only louder, more outrageous and jealous than ever.  It seems Marcus (Michael Jai White) finally got a job, and it’s more than Angela can handle.  With all that going on, the appearance of Mike (Richard T. Jones) only adds fuel to the fire and things get hot, hot, hot.
Most people agree marriage is tough and it’s a lot of work.  It seems Tyler Perry intended on shaking things up when he penned this sequel.  Honestly, I didn’t know what to expect when I viewed the film, a lot of laughs for sure, the men taking the lead as ‘bad boys,’ and the women setting the record straight, love conquering all and so on and so on.  What I got was a reality check.
This is a great film for married people or those contemplating marriage at some point.  Unlike the first movie, we had our villain, Mike, Sheila’s low-life now ex-husband.  We saw him get his comeuppance and good triumphed over evil, Sheila got the love of her life and Mike got what he deserved, a trophy wife.  Patricia and Gavin seemed to work things out in dealing with the death of their son. Terry and Dianne, after a brief separation, fell back in love. And even Angela and Marcus seemed finally headed in the right direction.  But the road to hell is apparently paved with good intentions and life began to wear these couples down.
As actors, they were all required to dig down deep and deliver performances that had the audiences riveted to their seats.  Your attention first moves to Jackson, her character is the “rock” of the group; her seemingly perfect marriage is the example for all to follow.   Jackson says, “Anyone can see themselves in at least one of these characters.” What the audience saw in Jackson’s character was pent up rage, anger and pain…Janet Jackson like you have never seen her before.  And curiously enough, you saw a bit of the late King of Pop, Michael Jackson, in her performance.  I’ll leave that for you to see for yourself.
Jackson wasn’t the only actor who had to dig down deep.  Jill Scott’s character (Sheila) was determined never again to be a woman scorned, angry about the years she lost being taken for granted, she lashes out, even at the man she loves.  You dare not cross her now.  Sharon Leal’s character (Dianne) now a super wife and with two children, making her a super mom, is a powerful Black woman, feeling like she’s slowly losing her identity and about to make a big mistake, trying to hold on to the “woman” she thinks she really is.  And Tasha Smith’s character (Angela), loud and wrong, now has to deal with a man she used to easily put down, but not anymore, and he is flexing his, uh, muscles.  Yes, my dear readers, the tables have turned, and the brothers, bothered and confused are running for cover.
Richard T. Jones’s character (Mike) is his same arrogant self, always with an agenda, but this time more tragic than selfish, and he turns to the only woman that ever loved him for help, and that, too, backfires.  Troy (Lamman Rucker) the hero of the first movie,  doesn’t feel so heroic now, shrouded in shame and embarrassment, he longs to feel like a man again.  Poor Gavin (Malik Yoba) is just confused and hurt.  And Terry (Tyler Perry) has some soul searching to do.
In short, I left the movie in a daze, not knowing what to think.  Wanting things to work out…the fairytale ending; but Brother Perry has something else in mind.  And this movie truly begs the questions, “why did I get married?” and is there such a thing as ‘forgiveness?’
Tyler Perry’s “Why Did I Get Married Too?” is sobering, thought provoking, with a slice of humor thrown in for good measure.  A movie worth seeing, married or not.
Gail can be reached at gail@hollywoodbychoice.com.