User reviews

I am not a Tyler Perry defender, but I have to call foul on the 3.1 rating. Those who reviewed the movie average about a 6 or 7, so I'm led to believe many who have voted on this movie did not in fact see the movie. Considering the assault Perry receives from critics--myself included at times--it would not be hard to believe some would undermine the rating system here and seek to sabotage anything with the name "Perry" in front of it. Moving on...

I will go out on a limb and say this is Perry's highest quality effort to date. It's the first movie I remember seeing of his that did not run with the trite good-guy/bad-guy story line. This movie had more depth than any of his previous. There were no bad guys. Every character was troubled and coping and...human. Many I think missed the real theme of this movie. It has absolutely nothing to do with a man coming to save a woman. It is about having the courage to follow your own path. It is a universal theme, one that hits home for virtually everyone. Sure there may be better movies out there who execute this theme, but this movie does it competently in my opinion, and by Tyler Perry's standards, it is more than competent. It is dare I say, actually "good?"

I liked the acting. Once I got past Thandie's always-strange accent and the little girl's initially poor acting performance, and Brian White's sometimes over-acting, the movie caught its groove and all of the actors delivered. Newton played a particularly touching role. I have to admit her ability to cry on a dime regarding the loss of her child, made me tear up a bit. To say that I was shocked to find myself actually tearing up from a Tyler Perry movie is the understatement of the day. Perry and Gabrielle Union also delivered. Both portrayed their complex characters well and competently showcased the true ambivalence that often accompanies a relationship, especially one that occurs when the couple is past their twenties and have to grapple with all the life expectations that entails. This brings me to the next highlight--the script.

It seems like Perry actually took his time--or at least more time than he usually does, say on the horrible movies like "Madea Goes to Jail" or the like--on this script. There was more character development, more growth, more nuance, and unpredictability. There were plot holes, sure, but in general, you didn't feel short-changed as a viewer, like the writer was just trying to rush something through to meet a deadline so that he could ultimately get your money--ahem--"Why did I get Married 2" looking at you!

Finally, I liked the pace of the movie. Some may think it was slow, I think it was mature...a mature movie about mature matters. I liked this for a change, especially in comparison to the low-IQ slapstick I had previously associated with Tyler Perry. And let me leave this little tidbit: If you, like me, happen to currently be in a similar place in life as these characters--about to make big life decisions but fear you are not making the right ones--you will doubly appreciate the meditative pace. You will appreciate the more introspective tone than is found in Perry's other movies.

The movie is not perfect, but I will give it a relatively high rating simply to combat the unfairly low rating it has as of this writing. We should applaud growth when we see it. "See it" being the operative phrase. See the movie before low-rating it. Have some integrity folks.

My first Tyler Perry movie, and far better than some of the reviewers have made out and well worth at least a 6/10.

I have always liked Thandie Newton and Brian White and they do well in their roles and make them believable, Tyler Perry is solid in the leading role, likewise Gabrielle Union was good in her role as Tyler Perry's characters girlfriend.

The story was predictable from very early on, but still interesting and worth watching. A small amount of violence, but not over done.

Nothing amazing or new for me, but definitely worth watching at least once if you like romantic movies.

I have now seen some Tyler Perry movies that weren't good (like Madea's Big Happy Family) and some that were (his adaptation of For Colored Girls... was the best so far). This one was better than expected since he doesn't play that stereotypical mammy-type character that I just mentioned nor does he put any obvious comedy scenes that makes one groan like in that first movie I just wrote about. In fact, the only character I thought was truly one-dimensional was that of his no-good-brother played by Brian White who has no business being part of their father's company but because he's family...Anyway, Perry plays perhaps the most caring of businessmen one would expect to be depicted in modern cinema as he discovers a female janitor played by Thandie Newton who's on welfare because of some personal troubles. Oh, and Perry's engaged to Gabrielle Union and has a mother played by Phylicia Rashad who's a little uptight though she also knows where she's been. In summation, Good Deeds was a nice surprise for me concerning Mr. Perry's output and on that note, I recommend it.

Good Deeds (2012) is a movie that I recently watched on HBOMAX. The storyline follows a rich business owner who has an unappreciative fiancée and reckless, angry brother. His life seems perfect but when he meets a down on her luck single mother janitor in his building, he decides to help her out and falls in love in the process. His perfect life is about to take a drastic turn...

This movie stars, is written and directed by Tyler Perry (Diary of a Mad Black Woman) and also stars Gabrielle Union (Bad Boys 2), Thandiwe Newton (Crash), Eddie Cibrian (The Cave), Phylicia Rashad (The Cosby Show), Rebecca Romijn (X-Men), Jamie Kennedy (Scream 2) and Brian White (Stomp the Yard).

This picture does a great job of depicting a single mother's struggles and Newton delivers a tremendous performance. The characters are unique and the situations are perfectly depicted. The soundtrack is absolutely tremendous. I will say many elements felt unrealistic but still made you smile as they unfolded. The mother and daughter dynamic is well portrayed and the child acting by Jordenn Thompson was impressive. The conclusion was cliche but made me smile.

Overall, the ratings for this are a bit harsh. I would score this a 7/10 and recommend seeing it once.

The premise of Good Deeds, had solid depth with some light-hearted overtones. The storyline was well paced, and easy to watch.

Thandie Newton's role had a bit of meat too it, which made the movie. Her 'simple' character pulls you in.

Great to see a relatively strong black cast (typically a tall order to deliver), and of course Mrs Huxtable!

I noted some low scores on IMDb, I would not be so fast to sweep it under the carpet. A mature look at love hides somewhere in Good Deeds.

Watching a movie about choosing the right path. Finding the type of love you want, can be good for the soul.

I went to watch this movie not knowing anything about this movie. I enjoyed the intro of San Francisco. I have family that live in the city and enjoy when movies are filmed there. Though Then it cut to the movie. At first glance the movie appeared to be somewhat original and interesting. Though after the first 5 minutes it unravels into a movie that I had felt that I had watched before. One of my least favorite parts were the undeveloped characters. There seemed that they could have developed many characters more. Though they chose to get there main plot rushed together. In the end creating many loose ends and making the movie forgettable.

This film is true to Tyler Perry's style in that he always wants to convey positive messages. There were so many messages in this film that I don't even know where to start. The film demonstrates that no matter how much money you have, you can still be unhappy in your own skin. It also made me realize that I should stop gripping about the things that I don't have and consider myself blessed to have what I do because there is always someone out there that has it worse. I am glad to see Tyler Perry (Wesley Deeds) step out of the comedic genre. I think that he was very believable as the romantic lead. I really hope that he continues to expand the types of films that he makes so that he does not become stereotyped as a one-hit-pony. Gabriele Union (Natalie) is always perfection in any role that she plays. I don't think that she gets the credit that she deserves, but I will say that she did a fantastic job hosting the BET honors awards (she is very funny). Thandie Newton (Lindsey Wakefield) pulled at your heart strings in this film. Every time I see a homeless person on the streets I always ask myself, "I wonder how he/she got here". Well, Lindsey answered that question for me in this film and makes me realize that sometimes it is to no fault of the individual. It's just life and things happen. Thandie is like a chameleon transforming from a strong-willed woman in For Colored Girls, to a beaten down struggling women in this film. Brian White (Walter Deeds) reminded me that there are still haters in this world and definitely convinced me that he was the king of the haters. Tyler obviously like working with Phylicia Rashad (Wilimena) because he has cast her in a couple of films with good reason. I don't care how many films I have seen her in; every now and then I get a glimpse of Mrs. Huxtable. Is it just me? The one thing that I have to say about the audience in this theater is that we all reacted the same way at the same time and we did it out loud. I love that! I also have to say that I love this film although it was very predictable. It was just refreshing to see a positive film for a change that conveyed basic life messages. I give this film a green light.

If anyone goes to the theater thinking that this film is a romantic comedy they are in for a big surprise because it is a full on drama. The first half hour of this film was almost too depressing to bare, primarily because Lindsey (Thandie Newton) found herself in one bad situation after another. This leads me to my first observation about Tyler Perry movies, which is that his characters are typically so one dimensional. He plays the male lead Wesley Deeds (Tyler Perry) and he is just entirely too predictable and too good to be true, well that is until the elevator scene. His antithesis is his brother Walter Deeds (Brian White) who is too enraged to be true. Then there is their mother Wilhimina (Phylicia Rashad) who is a true piece of work with her disdain for her younger son and complete and utter worship of her eldest. The extreme misfortune time after time that befalls Lindsey, all just became too much. People are just not that one dimensional, the only character that was somewhat rounded was Natalie (Gabrielle Union) who conveyed a whole range of emotions, which is what people do. They are happy, they are sad, they are frustrated, they are thoughtful and they sometimes get inebriated just hanging out with friends. But no one is the same all the time. I understand the approach in film making, it makes it clear what type of person the character is, so you know who to cheer or boo, but it leaves very little to the intellect of a viewer. People are not simply one emotion they are very complex, even in the span of an hour and a half. A very bright light in contrast to most of the adults was Ariel (Jordenn Thompson), what an adorable child. Which leads to my second observation of Tyler Perry movies, he does an amazing job of including exceptionally talented people in his films. I would have liked the story much better if it had focused less on the Lindsey dilemmas and more on the budding romance between Lindsey and Wesley. And I was completely thrown off with the final setting of the story because it failed credibility. I'll just say that down and out people do not typically have a passport to readily leave the country on a moment's notice, and some countries require that you receive a bevy of immunizations before visiting. With that said, I give Good Deeds an amber light.

The ratings are unduly harsh for what is a good movie overall. Some especially good moments all of which included the excellent Thandiwe Newton, always very good in anything she is in. For this film she basically holds it all together and is the stand out performer.

The story is predictable but then it's hard to be totally original when it's all been done many times before.

The story is a simple rediscovery one where the main character has to re-allign values and needs some home truths to help get there. Often people can have so much and yet have no value or worth in life. Stepping back and prioritising a little self over others may be the only way to break free from a rut and achieve true happiness.

I just got through seeing Good Deeds. It was a little better than the rest of his movies but not as good as Why Did I Get Married. This movie did have that same old monotonous theme the rest of his other movies have. Even with that being said this movie was as predictable as a Scooby Doo cartoon. Now that can be said about all of Tyler Perry's movies. Phylicia Rashad, Gabrielle Union, and Thandie Newton did do their thing in this movie but that still couldn't help it. I wish Tyler Perry could come up with more imaginative story lines and make movies where you would have to actually think and be surprised as to what will happen in the movie. I mean my 11 year old step daughter can write a more complex script.

There is something to be said for movies that are written and directed by the same person. They tend to deliver an honest message. I am not usually a fan of the writer/director also being the star. Those movies usually feel like an ego-trip. In a sense they are. Good Deeds, despite Tyler Perry being the writer, director, and star, will not leave a bad taste in your mouth. This movie is so honest and true to life that—storyline aside—you will respect it.

That in no way means the storyline is lacking. The storyline itself can stand on its own feet. By taking on a unique perspective that few people can identify with (the 1%), this movie starts off with the premise that you will not understand what the main characters are going through. By the time you get to the scene in the elevator, you will realize that—class aside—the characters are going through the exact same thing that the average Joe.

The Characters are probably the best part of the movie. Since the movie concluded, I've tried to find a single character in the lineup that remained flat throughout the film. In Tyler Perry's pursuit of making a movie that is true to life, he created an incredible band of characters that will grow before your very eyes. There is no stereotypical bad man or good man. In allowing his characters to develop in such a way, Tyler Perry created a drama that will make you cry and smile.

The failings of Good Deeds are few. The finale is great up until the very end—where is suspends the realism that drove it. On top of that, the acting ability of one of the main characters—Thandie Newton—was subpar. Considering she was a large part of the movie, this caused a few problems. Luckily her part was written well—which allowed for this oversight not to ruin the movie.

Good Deeds is one of the best dramas of the year (so far). It is rare to get a movie that is so brutally honest. Several of the scenes in the climax and end made me reminisce because I remember moments so similar. Tyler Perry pulled off something special here. I have never been a fan of his movies—but Good Deeds is going to make me reconsider (at least his dramas).

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The movie is the stereotypical romantic story. The fact that I'm even writing about this movie is because I actually thought that this would be the first Tyler Perry movie that I might remotely like. The preview looked so promising but to get into the theater and get that standard romantic fare was a little disappointing. The story was too predictable and might have been a little more genuine if it ventured in a different direction. The acting was average as well - Thandie Newton acted well though I felt the accent was a little weird and someone should tell Tyler Perry that being a director doesn't necessarily make you a good actor. Some of his acting was cringe-worthy. I liked seeing Phylicia Rashad again though - she is still as beautiful as I remember. Gabrielle Union did well too.

Overall, I give this movie a 5 out of 10 which reflects what I thought about it - average.

Tyler Perry has finally come out of the closet and has shown us another side of his talents. I knew people wouldn't be happy seeing a positive movie about an African-American male, but I love movies that African-Americans can be proud to see, movies that portray us in a better light.

This movie feels real, and leaves you with a good feeling at the end of it. Hopefully this is a new beginning to a trend of positive, more realistic movies. Red Tails was another one that because of it's positive portrayal of African-American men, winded up getting a poor rating. Minds haven't changed much since the slavery days.

If you like feel good positive movies, go see this one, but if you're stuck on the portrayal of African-American men as week, drug dealing, and always wrong when they speak, this movie isn't for you. Personally, I and my family loved it.

Two thumbs up, all the way up.

While this Tyler Perry work is negatively user-rated widely and apparently under-performing at the box office, it is in fact a decent love story about a rich businessman, Tyler Perry, who has never been chasing his dreams his entire life. That is, indeed, up to the point Thandie Newton, the female lead who has difficulty earning a living and raising her daughter without any support, enters his life.

The slow-paced setup of the first half tends to give viewers a certain degree of boredom and negative aspect of the movie. Despite the seemingly planned organization of the plot, the complete story is glued together by separate events that somewhat relate, but never really cohere tightly, which costs an interesting story the loss of a natural flow. Though it's not at all fatal, the length of the movie with incoherent sections does seem to add to the disadvantage of storytelling. In other words, the first half and second half are at the fault of imbalance and the development is jumpy at times, especially in the second half.

It is a movie that is more romance than drama and comedy, though it does have its share of laughable moments. Such are nothing too intense but it does help the over-seriousness of the setting. The focus is placed mostly over Perry and Newton, which undoubtedly leads to the impression that other relationships are simply being mentioned and neglected with a somewhat abrupt closing.

Many actions are not explained; they are just shown to be "good deeds". When the movie begins, it feels like an in-depth story about Newton and her life which is nothing but bad. As the story develops, we are shown a relationship that quickly evolves. The abrupt closure is not well-tackled. Indeed, we are back to the problem of imbalance. Viewers enjoy a start with over-explained and over-described matters which inevitably make people tedious, while in the end, it is too quick and make people feel that there is not enough explaining done, which leaves them disappointed.

In a crowd of satisfactory performances, Newton easily stands out with her scenes when she is with her daughter, played by Jordenn Thompson. Those moments are the only that give this flat romance and drama some sentimental value. Writing and directly the movie himself, Tyler Perry manages to offer an okay performance as the title character. Brian White has done a fine job playing the "loser" brother of Perry.

It is a script with certain imbalance and some organizational issues. Nevertheless, as a light romance story about a man's desire to chase his dreams, it is a movie that delivers sufficiency, and warmth occasionally. It is not a movie that shines, but it remains a simple and interesting story with an attempt to tell a message.

Tyler Perry tries to make good films and in recent films he has tried to get away from the Madea films but he's still relying on the same clichés that make his films really hard to sit through.

The main problem with this film is that it is as dull as a slice of bread. This review is going to be short because, by God, I don't remember what happened. Something about a guy not enjoying his life despite being rich. An unbelievably cliché story with unbelievably cliché characters that you have honestly seen in hundreds of other projects.

I really don't remember anything about the film so I do not remember anything that was salvageable about it, it was boring, recycled. I know a lot of people probably like this film but I just think it was one of the worst I've ever seen. If your not a Perry fan, I'd say skip it.

I am "Mr.Deeds", so I can tell you right off the bat that not only is this very real - but for once my new friend Tyler finally made a respectful black film.

I am going to go see this a second time in the theatre, and I will buy a copy for home when it comes out.

I am very happy to say this was a great - an awesome film. Yes - black people have good jobs, are educated, and we do have normal life problems and this film reflected all of that and more.

Well done!

~~I have to say, again: this truly spoke to me. This is almost to the tee my particular tale, and it was a cold shiver to see it.