New movies this weekend: Madea goes to Jail, Fired Up!

There are only two films going out in wide release this Oscar weekend, including cheerleader flick Fired up! and Tyler Perry’s latest, Madea Goes to Jail. Expect Madea to capture this week’s crown (I doubt anyone underestimates Perry again). The other main business will be holdovers, including Friday the 13th, Coraline, He’s Just Not That Into You, Taken, Paul Blart, and Confessions of a Shopaholic. All of the holdovers have shown solid legs (save for Friday the 13th, and while it will drop a lot, it should still do well).

Madea Goes to Jail stars Tyler Perry as he plays a 1/2 million different characters (including the title character) in the 17th Madea film. Lion’s Gate won’t preview the film for critics, but it doesn’t really matter. This film is bulletproof – as all of Perry’s films are. If you like Madea and Perry’s sense of comedy, you’ll like this. If you find it stupid, you’ll probably find it stupid. Perry has created quite an amazing empire. In addition to simply making his movies inexpensively, Perry knows his audience. He doesn’t try and overreach, doesn’t try and be what he’s not – or make what they aren’t expecting. In the process, he’s made a boatload of money too – bully to him.

Tyler Perry certainly has little to fear from Fired Up! The cheerleader comedy is getting dreadful to mediocre reviews. Shots of hot girls in skimpy outfits will only get you so far. This is the sort of disposable teen comedy that will play poorly outside of girls. Watch for an okay opening and then it’ll fall off the map.