Tyler Perry's I Can Do Bad All by Myself

In one of his most satisfying films to date, Tyler Perry keeps the faith with his devoted audience, giving them his signature mash-up of heart-wrenching melodrama, outrageous comic relief, and soul-stirring spiritual uplift. Adapted from his play of the same name, I Can Do Bad All by Myself stars Taraji P. Henson as April, an alcoholic nightclub singer involved with a controlling married man and estranged from her mother and her church (despite the best efforts of Wilma, a congregant portrayed by Gladys Knight). When her mother dies and April is forced to take in the three children of her dead crack-addict sister, she does not exactly put out the welcome mat. Crowd-pleasing signature character and irascible matriarch Madea (Perry in drag) makes the most of her scant screen time with old-school discipline and values-added wisdom (“You get out of this life what you put into it”). Will April see the light, accept the Lord, and open her heart to the kids and the saintly (and handsome) Colombian immigrant handyman (Adam Rodriguez) who lives in her basement? Well, duh. Knight, Marvin Winans, and Mary J. Blige raise the roof with show-stopping gospel and blues numbers that add to the fervor of a Perry film. Not screened in advance for critics but ranked No. 1 at the box office on its opening weekend, I Can Do Bad All by Myself is further testimony that, in his fans' eyes, Perry can do no wrong. Recommended, overall. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include “A Soulful Ensemble” cast interviews (10 min.), “The Power of Music” featurette (6 min.), “Tyler's Block Party” scene segment (5 min.), and trailers. Bottom line: a small extras package for one of director Perry's better efforts.] (D. Liebenson)