Peeples

Everyone involved in Tyler Perry Presents: Peeples, a lacklustre meet-the-parents romantic comedy, deserves some sort of medal for keeping out anything even resembling Perry's trademark cinematic poison. Regular guy Wade (ever loveable Craig Robinson) crashes his girlfriend's family reunion in the Hamptons to ask for her hand in marriage, only to find that his lady love (Kerry Washington) has kept their relationship a secret from her overprotective daddy (national treasure David Alan Grier). Rounding out the surprisingly robust cast is S. Epatha Merkerson as Grier's recovering alcoholic wife, secret lesbian Kali Hawk and even Melvin Van Peebles. First time director Tina Gordon Chism doesn't take many risks, keeping the jokes broad and the plot dumb. But she show some glimmers of hope by letting her funny, likeable cast be funny and likeable. Perry's name on the front is supposed to be an endorsement, but it's largely the opposite; lowering the bar of expectations for Peeples to subatomic levels. --Jacob Boon