Published On:Wednesday, March 31, 2010

By CARA BRENNEN-BETHEL

Tribune Features Editor

FANS of Tyler Perry's 2007 hit 'Why Did I Get Married' will love its sequel, 'Why Did I Get Married Too', which premiered at the Atlantis Theatre on Monday night and was filmed on the beautiful island of Eleuthera.

The movie is exactly what Perry fans have come to expect from his dramas such as the first 'Married' film, 'Daddy's Little Girls' and 'The Family that Preys' - a morally based story focusing on family and relationship issues that somehow resolve themselves by the closing credits even if the path to resolution is sometimes clichéd.

It is a highly successful formula, which, although not Oscar worthy, will undoubtedly score big box office bucks and solidify his fan base.

Perry said at the premiere that he wrote the story for the sequel because he felt the characters from the first movie had more to say. And this time around, without having the task of introducing the characters and situations, Perry can simply tell it.

He has also allowed his characters to grow and mature. Although there are slow moments, the dead scenes which plagued his earlier works are gone and this makes for a smoother plot line.

Despite the volume of movies he has made, people should remember that he is still a novice film writer and his works have progressively gotten better.

The sequel picks up three years after the first movie as the four couples take their annual vacation - this time to the Bahamas.

As an aside, this movie is the perfect endorsement of the Bahamas as a vacation destination, giving movie-goers stunning shots of the beautiful beaches and waters of Eleuthera. I only wish that more local extras had been used.

But back to the story - On the surface things seem great - therapist Patricia (Janet Jackson) and her husband Gavin (Malik Yoba) still seem to have the perfect marriage and seem to be moving on after the tragic death of their baby boy Noah.

Dianne (Sharon Leal) and Terry (Tyler Perry) have had a little boy and are adjusting to their new family life after Dianne had surgery to reverse the tubal ligation that threatened to destroy her relationship in the first movie.

Newlyweds Troy (Lamman Rucker) and Sheila (Jill Scott) have made the move from Colorado to Atlanta and have a little boy. But Troy's inability to land a job has put stress on the couple. This is not helped after her ex-husband Mike (Richard T Jones) crashes the vacation and tries to cause trouble in the relationship.

The tables have turned on the colourful Angela (Tasha Smith) and Marcus (Michael Jai White). Now a successful sportscaster, Marcus is the primary breadwinner and Angela is having trouble getting past his earlier infidelities.

Despite everyone's attempt to portray that they are happy in their marriage, it is obvious that trouble is brewing and before the end of the vacation comes the news that one of the couples will not make it.

Back home things escalate as once again each couple must face their problems head on and decide how they will move on. This is especially evident for Patricia and Gavin, who slowly let the facade of perfection they have built over the years drop, leading to some of the movie's strongest scenes. Janet Jackson gives a credible performance as a woman who finally lets her barriers down.

'Why Did I Get Married Too' is not a perfect movie. There are times when the dialogue and plot are so obvious and clichéd that you wonder what Perry was thinking. But there are moments of genuine humour and emotion that the viewer will appreciate. The combination is indeed worth watching.