Madea first appeared in the 2005 film “Diary of a Mad Black Woman” and created many stomach-aching, hilarious moments through the following 11 movies. Released in July 2025, Tyler Perry released “Madea’s Destination Wedding” as his 13th installment of his cultural phenomenon; however, it left something to be desired.
For viewers unfamiliar with the work, Tyler Perry plays Madea, Brian and Joe. The film centers around Madea and her family, as Madea’s granddaughter Tiffany unexpectedly gets engaged to a rapper named Zavier, who Brian (her dad) does not approve of.
After introducing Zavier to the family, they announce their wedding is taking place in only two weeks in the Bahamas. Under pressure from his ex-wife Deborah, he offers to pay for the entire family to come to the wedding.
Deborah continues to pressure Brian, as the rest of the family continue to enjoy the perks of the resort and continuously praise Deborah. Madea, however, quickly grows suspicious of Deborah as she feels the circumstances of the wedding and Deborah’s actions are suspicious.
Madea movies consistently have a storyline centered around family dynamics. This movie follows this same trend. This, however, is not what most people usually watch Madea for. Madea movies cater to similar types of people that enjoy action movies with the Rock. People watch Madea for her street-smart personality and her wild shenanigans. A plot for a Madea movie is only a way to give life to these shenanigans.
“Madea’s Destination Wedding” has moments that can genuinely make the viewer laugh out loud; however, it is not up to par with Perry’s other Madea movies. The 2019 film “A Madea Family Funeral” is a significantly better movie in all the aspects of the form Perry had nailed down. The storyline the movie follows was far more fleshed out with moments of fantastic emotional acting and comedy that flows from Madea in a way that is in tune with the plot.
This movie has fallen short because of the execution of everything that “A Madea Family Funeral” had executed so well. The plot seems forced and improbable, due in part to the poor writing, and the poor execution of the supporting actors. The story and the setting leaves little room for the same comedy audiences know and love, as the comedy and the story-line cannot coexist.
The film has a handful of genuinely funny moments, but they are often overshadowed, as they are not built off of the plot the movie revolves around. “Madea’s Destination Wedding” is not the worst of the Madea movies, but it disappointingly falls short of what they have achieved before.
