Cinema

For more movie summaries, see Kam’s Kapsules.

WHAT ARE YOU HIDING FROM ME?: Angela (Tasha Smith, standing left) suspects that her husband Marcus (Michael Jai White) is cheating on her again, because he won’t share his password for his cell phone with her.

Why Did I Get Married Too: Tyler Perry and Company in Battle-of-the-Sexes Sequel

Kam Williams

For years four couples, who have been friends since college, have all gone on an annual vacation in order to reconnect, reminisce, and reflect on the state of their marital relationships. Last year’s reunion at a Colorado ski lodge was very eventful, because the emotionally abused Sheila (Jill Scott), finally summoned up the courage to leave her unfaithful husband, Mike (Richard T. Jones).

This year, the group made reservations at an oceanfront resort in the Bahamas, Mike, who was not invited, was brazen enough to show up with his latest mistress. However, Mike’s now the third wheel, because Sheila has since married Troy (Lamman Rucker), a local cop who rescued her last year in a blizzard in the Rocky Mountains.

Mike is there because he wants to renew his relationship with his ex-wife. He’s hoping to take advantage of Troy’s inability to find a job after he relocated to Atlanta. Although Sheila has reassured Troy that she doesn’t mind being the breadwinner, the role reversal doesn’t agree with him because he feels that he should be the one who is the main provider.

The other three couples are also having serious marital issues, starting with Angela (Tasha Smith). She has doubts about her husband Marcus (Michael Jai White) because he won’t share his cell phone password with her. She knows that Marcus, a former pro athlete who has cheated on her in the past, will have new opportunities to stray in his new job as the host of a TV talk show.

Psychologist Pat (Janet Jackson) and architect Gavin (Malik Yoba), are dealing with strains on their seemingly perfect marriage, because Pat has just written a bestseller titled He’s Cheated, So Now What. Also, she has kept her feelings about the death of her son bottled up inside for many years, and her suppressed emotions are also contributing to the strains on their marriage.

Terry (Tyler Perry) and Dianne (Sharon Leal) are the fourth couple. Their problem is that Terry suspects that Dianne, a workaholic attorney, is having an affair. He has trouble believing her plausible explanations for the long hours that she has to spend at the office.

“Can this marriage be saved?” is the question raised repeatedly in Why Did I Get Married Too, a rare case of a sequel that is actually better than the original. Tyler Perry earns high marks for not only reassembling the entire principal cast, but for using the talented cast in a compelling modern morality play which is as fresh as it is funny. The scenic caribbean location and the addition of new faces, such as Cicely Tyson and Lou Gossett, Jr., also add to the movie. Oh, and it would be unfair for this reviewer to reveal the closing credits’ cameo celebrity.

Scene stealer Tasha Smith turns in another trademark performance as Angela, a shrill banshee whose over-the-top antics keep you in stitches whenever she’s on camera. Equally noteworthy is Janet Jackson, whose character afforded her an opportunity to stretch her acting range. When you consider that the production was put on hold because of the death of her brother, it makes her performance in scenes, many of which were shot while she was grieving, even more impressive.

Perry proves that he still has the touch in another madcap marital melodrama that is apt to resonate within the black community.

Excellent (4 stars). Rated PG-13 for mature themes, sexuality, profanity, drug references, and domestic violence. Running time: 121 minutes. Distributor: Lionsgate Films.

For more movie summaries, see Kam’s Kapsules.

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