Inclubabu Plot so thin, it passes unnoticed.

ClassyWas Excellent, smart action film.

Bereamic Awesome Movie

Sharkflei Your blood may run cold, but you now find yourself pinioned to the story.

nicholls_les Loved this movie and rate it as Tyler Perry's best. Films where he is not dressing up as a woman (which does not work in my opinion) are his best. This one and 'Why did I get married' stand out to me.Idris Elba does a passable American in this as Monty, a mechanic fighting for custody of his daughters from his ex wife, played by the brilliant Tasha Smith.Gabrielle Union is really good and for my money one of the best actresses around. But it is the three little girls, played by real life sisters Sierra, Lauryn and China McClain that stand out in this movie, they are brilliant actresses for their ages and have personalities that shine through.Also good to see Louis Gossett Jr. in a role that really suited him.The story is a good one and you root for him to get his daughters back.Great little movie, well worth a watch.

callanvass A mechanic (Elba) is forced to enlist the help of a cantankerous and lonely lawyer (Union), even though he's her limo driver. He needs her to help him get his three children back from a domineering ex wife, and a drug lord. Little did he know he'd fall in love with her?I like Why Did I Get Married and other heavy melodramas from Perry, but sometimes he goes a bit too far with it. This one is subdued in comparison to other Perry films, but it's still has a potent storyline that Perry is well known for. This starts out similarly like many other Perry films. It has the whole "Doing anything to survive on very little" story, and like always it managed to tug on my emotional strings a little bit. It's easy to empathize with someone when they are a good father, and is willing to do anything for his kids. Idris Elba plays it very cool, and makes for a charming lead. As far as sympathy goes, Perry did the job by making his character easy to like, and I was on his side the whole way. Chemistry with Gabrielle Union wasn't that good, though. Gabrielle Union is a bit of a different story. Her abrasive character in the first half is awfully hard to take. I realize it was needed development for her change in the second half, but she was really hard to like, and by the time the change came I had difficulty buying into it. She is quite a looker, but her performance isn't that great. Her relationship with Elba is supposed to be the heart of the story, and I felt it came across as flat. Her blind date scenes, including a painfully unfunny cameo from Craig Robison felt pointless to me. While I did compliment it for not going too OTT like a lot of Perry films, Tasha Smith's monstrous character as the Mom felt ludicrously contrived at points. At one point she offers her kids a drink (!) She is good at being unlikable. (Check out Why Did I Get Married 1 & 2, for more info on what I mean) but it was a bit OTT at times. Criticisms aside, I didn't mind this movie at all. It's predictable, but it has some powerful moments, and It definitely passes the time rather easily. It's worth a look5.8/10

msr31684 I'll admit, I didn't think I was going to like this movie too much but I found it well worth my time. I thought it was going to be another "obnoxious/ghetto meets wealthy/elegance" type of movie I've come to expect from many of TP's movies along with many other "Black" movies but I feel that it really brought joy to my soul. While the movie overall lacked many things that, like many other TP movies, made it lack the true quality of a well-crafted film, the overall plot brings a sense of happiness.I think the cast was one of the strong points of the movie, especially Gabby who did a really good job of shining some light on the "smart, sexy, successful black woman who just can't find a decent man" phenomenon that I've come to find was becoming more and more common based on some research. I WILL say that her character (Julia) kind of reminds me of another girl named Eva played by someone else. If only I could remember who. Idris delivers a good performance we've come to expect from seeing The Wire and Luther. However, you kind of get tired of his character's being cornered into "The Damsel in Distress". The performance from Tasha Smith was also something worth pointing out. Alike her character from Meet the Browns, this movie does a better job of exposing her talent. Watching the movie, I couldn't help but think "Is she acting or is she just really a b****"? Gary Sturgis also delivered a performance worth recognizing. Unfortunately, I think the PG-13 rating really hindered his ability to expose his character for who he really was.With all that said, I think there were a few loopholes in the film. First, there was a scene where Julia discovers Monty's past which included him being incarcerated for rape. It later turns out he was "wrongfully accused" which, in that case, would've been useless in court. Julia asks Monty about it without looking for a thorough explanation. When Monty fails to give her the proper answer, she storms off calling him a liar. How could he possibly let her leave without a detailed explanation and why did she call him a liar if when she asked him, he was about to reveal something but was interrupted by a phone call she had to take? In other words, he never said he was hiding anything. Also, how is it possible that Monty doesn't originally receive custody if, again, he was found not guilty of rape while the judge later asks the kid's mom and her boyfriend (Jennifer and Joseph) what they do for work. They couldn't answer the question. Why would a judge miss this earlier in the movie?I think fixing the loopholes would've made this movie much more recognizable to the public. There were scenes I couldn't help but notice was real including the scene after Monty discovers his daughter's wound. Good flick but easily could've been better

chris miller Tyler perry's latest effort follows in the frank Capra school of film-making. he takes a john doe and personalizes his struggle in what could be perceived as a weepy or cheesy manner, but it ultimately works because of the execution. let me get this clear up front: perry isn't frank Capra and this film isn't Mr. deeds goes to town or Mr. smith goes to Washington. of course, Capra was around longer when he made those and he had the efforts of greats like James Stewart and Gary cooper. but while this film doesn't reach the heights of Capra, it does tell a good, human story and it does so with some entertainment and humanity. some of the acting could have been better and i would have liked a fuller, more colorful (as in more entertaining or well-rounded) cast. one thing that makes Capra films (as well as Anthony Mann films) so good is the cast of secondary characters who act as foils to the protagonist, as well as offer comic relief. this film works because of the work perry does early in the film to establish some comedy and intrigue. just a couple touches here and there can be the difference between an engaged and invested audience and one that is checking their watches. B+.