After seeing the first installment (Why Did I Get Married) our hopes were high. Of all of Tyler Perry’s movies, this was one that struck a chord with us and we were hoping that the sequel would do the same. We couldn’t have been more wrong. It’s no secret that The Chocolate Review consists of two people who don’t hold the highest regard for the majority of what Tyler Perry has to offer. For this reason it shouldn’t come as a surprise that we came inches away from walking out of Tyler Perry’s Why Did I Get Married Too? on several occasions.
The story returns to the same four couples as they arrive to a couple’s retreat intended to strengthen their marriages. Dianne and Terry (Sharon Leal and Tyler Perry) are a seemingly happy couple confronted with the threat of hidden infidelity. Sheila (Jill Scott) is a new mom and loyal wife to husband number two, Troy (Lamman Rucker). After moving to a new city and battling unemployment, Troy and Sheila find that work is just as difficult to find as trust. Angela and Marcus (Tasha Smith and Michael Jai White) provide the comical relief as they battle out suspicions of infidelity in front of their friends, family and co-workers. Finally Patricia (Janet Jackson) a relationship guru finds it easier to make everyone else’s relationship better except the one with her own husband Gavin (Malik Yoba).
From the random twists and turns to the over-acting, Perry’s melodramatic trademark hangs heavily over this eccentric tale. Great actors were left with two dimensional characters in which to present three dimensional personalities. And the audience is left with hot and cold characters who go from one extreme to the next without clear motivation. There was no collective story, or theme for that matter. Just several emotionally charged people who we’re supposed to both care about and laugh at.
In Perry’s stage plays, we’re used to long scenes with little location change. Being restricted to a stage calls for such blocking. But even with the freedom of film Perry still writes his stories with all his characters in one location, sharing long, repetitive conversations that have less to do with character than mere platforms for jokes.
The audience laughed from start to finish but not only at the jokes. They laughed at every moment Perry certainly intended to be dramatically moving. Take for instance the scene used in the previews where a hysterical Janet Jackson looks into the camera with a wet, shaking weave clearly having just gone through something traumatic and she did. But how does the audience react? The man behind us choked on his own spit laughing! There is nothing funny about insanity, addiction and emotional or mental abuse. When you try to create humor in something that you also want them to take seriously, you cancel out your entire function.
Honestly, the redeemable quality in this film is its all black cast. Seeing all that brown on the screen was attractive and that in itself deserves a round of applause. Other than that, Why Did I Get Married Too? was more difficult to get through than we thought it would have been. In fact, it exceeded our expectations the bad ones of course.
We applaud Tyler Perry for his intentions. Bringing African American stories to the masses is a goal very close to us and we understand it. We respect that ambition and the man for that matter. However there is a disconnect between what Perry deems quality storytelling and what we ourselves consider authentic, genuine, motivating and progressive black centered entertainment. Call us bougie, stuck up or out of touch- if that’s what you call people who demand authentic, three dimensional stories that we can promote and relate to, then that must be what we are.
In regards to the evolution of African American theatrical storytelling, we have come so far. Even still, we have a great deal to go. Tyler Perry’s Why Did I Get Married Too? is a reminder of the latter.
The Chocolate Review gives Why Did I Get Married Too? 1 out of 5 stars for the following reasons:
• Bad writing
• Overacting
• A non motivated, emotional rollercoaster
• Reinforcing stereotypes of black women
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