Not Another Church Movie

Movie Review-Plugged In by Focus on the Family

God, it seems, is quite happy motoring around in the clouds on his Harley. But then he gets a call from Hoprah Windfall. And you don’t ignore that woman, or she’ll cancel you.

So God checks in and finds out that Hoprah is planning to step down from her media empire. And she wants Him to find a suitable successor to empower women everywhere. God has just the person in mind: a rich lawyer, doctor and part-time deliveryman named Taylor Pherry (the “p” is silent). This guy can do?anything.

But you don’t just slip into Hoprah’s shoes. No, no, you’ve got to make a splash. So, God visits Pherry (the “p” is silent) and tells him to write a movie. Of course, Pherry (don’t forget the “p” thing) doesn’t know the first thing about screenwriting. But he does have a large family that’s packed with drama, so maybe he can write something about them.

There’s his grand-aunt, Madude, for instance. Some people think this hulking, whirlwind of a woman is actually a man in a dress, but no one would ever say that to her face. In fact, Pherry’s (the “p”—ah, let’s just call him?Taylor), Taylor’s dad, Moe, is likely the only one to say nasty things to Madude. The two live together and constantly bicker profanely—like back-alley cats in a bag.

Then there’s Taylor’s cousin, Bethany, who’s divorcing her cheating husband and having rough sex with a moving-truck driver who draws abs on his stomach. His other cousin, Monte Carlo, is divorced and dealing with three young daughters whom he isn’t sure are even his.

The list of family members and whacky antics stretches on and on.

Their stories will probably make for a movie, Taylor figures. Maybe it’ll make for a hit.?Maybe?it’ll make the name Taylor Pherry (and his silent “p”) a household name.

Oh, but I forgot to say that the Devil has gotten word about God’s and Taylor’s plans, too. And he’s determined to do everything he can to make sure that the movie in question is an utter disaster. A trainwreck. He’ll make sure that no one will ever want to see this piece of dreck. And he’ll unleash all his hellish powers in his wicked quest.

But the dirty little secret is this: The Devil needn’t bother with that diabolical plot. Taylor will handle all of that on his own.

POSITIVE ELEMENTS

You could say that Taylor is hardworking. And he tries to help others from time to time. (At least, sometimes. Maybe.)

The only truly positive element comes from a teen who tells his financially struggling mom that he loves her and he’ll help her once he’s old enough to make his own way.

SPIRITUAL ELEMENTS

Other than two oddly placed gospel tunes in the film’s credits, this film is almost entirely sacrilegious in its approach to things of faith. God (played by a long-haired Jamie Foxx) is as crude, careless and foul-mouthed as the people down on Earth. (He drops f-words and winkingly profane parodies such as “Good me almighty!” and “Me d–ned!)

The people down on Earth tend to think as little of God as he does of them. They sometimes cross themselves or say “in the name of the Father,” but it’s always in the service of some joke or sarcastic jab at faith.

The only exception seems to be Taylor, who’s startled when God sends messages to him through the TV and bathroom mirrors. He takes God’s command seriously, though he hands the work off to a secretary and tries to steal some material. “I can steal all things through Christ, who strengthens me,” he declares.

SEXUAL CONTENT

There’s a running gag in the script about the above mentioned silent “p” in Taylor’s name. And part of that gag entails other people’s crude comments about the state and usefulness of Taylor’s “p.” For instance, one scene where Taylor is shirtless and playing basketball with other shirtless men winks at the idea that Taylor is secretly gay.

Speaking of which, Madude’s sexuality is called into question several times, too. After being arrested and put in jail, Madude ?apparently gets an erection while in the shower with naked women. (The female nudity is kept just out of the camera’s view and Madude’s apparently male anatomy is wrapped with wet fabric.) On the other hand, Madude delivers a few quips about the effectiveness of her favorite sex toys. And she later shows some drunk frat boys her bare breasts. (The camera is behind her.)

In fact, there are a number of discussions about people’s sexual proclivities and what arouses them. Taylor’s cousin, Bethany, for instance, is devastated over her husband’s infidelity; he’s been cheating on her with several white women. But she quickly hops into bed with a stranger she meets. Their violent sex involves physical punishment, leather belts and an electric toothbrush. (We don’t see the full scale of those activities, but were told about them.)

We hear about other cheating spouses, as well as hearing references to sexual issues and sexually transmitted disesases. A couple of different guys raise a question about the true parentage of their children. A guy gives a potential mistress liposuction while she’s backed up against a wall (fully clothed).

Men ogle women and comment on their curves. Guys stand around gripping their crotch. A woman shows a bus driver her breasts (just outside the camera’s view). A babysitter trafficks her young female charge. Several women sport deep cleavage. A local tough asks a teen to go to a bar with him. But the teen’s mother goes instead. The tough later comments on the mom’s oral technique. Comments are made about various sexual toys, anal sex and the smell of a woman’s genitals.

The list of leering dialogue and actions stretches on from there.

VIOLENT CONTENT

All of the thumping here is played for laughs. We see a woman beat her husband, drag him by his ear and throw him out of a second-story window. Madude pulls a gun out from between her breasts and waves it around. She employs a chainsaw to saw a couch, a TV and other items in half to help a wife who received “half of everything” in a divorce case. She also punches a guy in a clown costume in the face.

A man uses too much lighter fluid at a barbeque and sets himself on fire. He runs around the yard in flames before being doused. After a police chase, a white policeman approaches Madude’s car with his pistol drawn and warns that he’s happy to shoot them. In response, Moe throws various weapons out the car window.

CRUDE OR PROFANE LANGUAGE

There are at least three f-words and fifteen s-words in the dialogue. They’re accompanied by many uses of “a–,” “d–n,” “b–ch” and “h—.” God’s and Jesus’ names are misused 15 times (God being combined with “d–n” on six of those). Multiple crude references are made to the male and female anatomy.

There are also several n-words (or related versions of the word) used in the dialogue as well.

DRUG AND ALCOHOL CONTENT

Lots of people drink some form of alcohol. And that includes God and his angels, who drink wine in heaven.

OTHER NEGATIVE ELEMENTS

Taylor’s dad, Moe, is incredibly nasty and vulgar. He hurls raw barbs at Madude about her smell; her sexuality; and oral and anal sex, etc. He also passes gas profusely.

That said, the movie as a whole is consistently sleazy in its approach to humor. We also get a few gags tossed out at white people and a political jibe aimed at Trump.

CONCLUSION

If you’ve ever seen any of the many Tyler Perry comedies, you may have stepped away thinking:?Man, I could do that! Easy.

Well, writer/director Johnny Mack proves that it?ain’t?as easy as you may think.

This parody of Tyler Perry films—complete with everything from a towering man/matriarch in a dress to a flood of convoluted Black family problems—is nothing short of a mess.?Not Another Church Movie?feels like a collection of unrelated, raunchy comedy skits that have been filmed, jumbled up in a paper bag and slapdashed together by happenstance. (And I use the term “comedy”?very?loosely.)

Whereas Tyler Perry’s often-problematic flicks can sometimes come with a redemptive lesson or a likeable character or two, Mack’s concoction offers zip-a-dee-doo-dah on that account.?Nada. Zero. Zilch. No, this pic is crude, sacrilegious, foul mouthed and completely senseless.

When a couple of gospel songs play during the film’s end credits, viewers are left wondering why those churchy tunes made the cut.

Maybe it’s just one more “comedic” jab at Perry and God.

?