By Emily DiAlbert, Contributor
[Tyler Perry Studios; 2017]
Rating: 2/10

Of all the Madea movies released thus far, Boo 2! A Madea Halloween is by far the most disappointing. Although it’s framed as a horror-comedy, the film really doesn’t capture the essence of either genre. Instead, once you scrape aside the boring “jump scares,” unfunny jokes and horrible acting, you’re single-handedly left with the most exhausted Tyler Perry plotline ever: a helicopter dad willing to do whatever it takes to keep his teenage daughter on lockdown because he’s afraid of her growing up. All in all, it’s a complete mess.

Boo 2! begins exactly one year after its predecessor, Boo! A Madea Halloween. Basically, the day before Halloween, Tiffany, Madea’s niece, turns 18, discovers the “freedom” adulthood has to offer and decides there’s no other way she’d like to celebrate her birthday than at a frat party. The issue (besides it being a frat party) is that instead of the party being held at the local frat house, it’s located at Derrick Lake, a Friday the 13^th-esque place where several college kids were murdered back in the 70s (as if the thought of potentially being drugged by a frat star wasn’t scary enough). Madea overhears Tiffany making plans to go to the party and decides that it’s her responsibility to save Tiffany from trouble. So, that night, Tiffany, a couple clueless frat boys, Madea and her ragtag bunch of seniors find themselves at Derrick Lake fleeing for their lives from masked chainsaw murderers, two little girls that appear to be from The Ring and the Grim Reaper. Not to give you any spoilers, but the ending WILL piss you off, and so will the ridiculous plotline, poor acting, mediocre comedy and sexism littered throughout.

The most miserable element of this film would have to be its horrible characters. For starters, the movie focuses on a bratty teenage girl (Tiffany) that takes advantage of her family, puts her friends at risk and has that overall “I’m so much better than you will ever be” attitude that makes you absolutely loathe her. Just when you thought the characterization couldn’t get any worse, Boo 2! adds in the stereotypical, clueless, hyper-masculine, douchey frat boy. Additionally, Madea and her gang of seniors don’t add to the film’s betterment, making sexist, corny jokes that actually aren’t funny at all.  Plus, the “I don’t want my baby girl to grow up” dad lurks in the background the entire movie, making Boo 2! even more cringe-worthy.

As for the positives of this film, there aren’t many. There were a couple once-in-a-blue-moon scenes that surprisingly made the audience laugh a little bit, but a couple scenes aren’t going to make an obnoxious movie any better. Taking that into consideration, there really isn’t much worth praising.

If you’re looking for the next Madea classic, a horror flick, a comedy or a somewhat decent movie – keep looking. The only thing this film really gives viewers is the stellar delivery of common stereotypes associated with each demographic shown in the film (obviously, not a good thing). Overall, Boo 2! is really just a waste of time and money, and it’s certainly not worth your energy either.

Watch the trailer here: