Tyler Perry’s latest movie “Why Did I Get Married Too?” brought in an impressive $30.1 million in its opening weekend, beating out its predecessor “Why Did I Get Married?” which was relased back in 2007 and only made $10 million its first weekend. This is Perry’s biggest opening for a movie that didn’t feature the famously hilarious grandma everybody loves… Madea.

Tyler Perry’s Why Did I Get Married Too? has the loveliest image he’s ever committed to film — a Bahamas beachside nighttime memorial service with paper lanterns.

And the sequel to his four-couples-in-crisis melodrama Why Did I Get Married? has more strident, violent and over the top emotions and fewer and weaker wisecracks than is his norm. It’s more all over the place than we’ve seen from him before, the “bad” men are still abusing, cheating (or suspected of cheating) mistrustful, paranoid, vain, what have you. But this time, more of the women are the same.

His script is “pro trust” and anti-paranoid,” and then it isn’t.

The shrieking drinking  harpy Angela (Tasha Smith, in hysterics and occasionally hysterical) still thinks her man, Marcus (Michael Jai White) is cheating. Now the ex-jock is gainfully employed, a star of The Sports Shuffle, and she is all about checking his credit card, his mileage and his phone to see if he’s stepping out.

Sheila (Jill Scott) has ditched the abusive Mike (Richard T. Jones) for the former sheriff Troy (Lamman Rucker) she met in the first film. But they’ve moved to Atlanta, had a baby and he can’t find a job, amping up the stress in their marriage. “Trust” is becoming an issue with them, too.

Patricia the self-help shrink (Janet Jackson) and Gavin (Malik Yoba) are putting off an odd, pained vibe.

And Dianne (Sharon Leal) is still with Terry (Tyler P. himself), but she seems so happy that he’s sure she’s stepping out. Her friends see it too.

“You glowin’ girl!”

The formula  — round them all up for their “State of Our Marriage” weekend, this time in the Bahamas — toss in a few umbrella drinks, re-introduce the heel Mike to the mix, take in a life lesson from the ancient couple (Cicely Tyson, Louis Gossett Jr.) they meet, who actually have little to teach, except that memory is a tricky, gilded thing — and let the healing or tearing apart (back in Atlanta) begin.

I was wondering what impact his seeing and championing the Oscar winning Precious into theaters and awards glory would have on Perry, and Married, Too betrays more attention to the visual details.  The script is still a thin but broad and pandering mess, but there’s more ambition here (I see a John Hughes super-producer future for TP).

He still objectifies the men (shirtless, buff) and “protects” the women (lovely clothes don’t hide what’s happened to Janet Jackson). He shot the banal banter with the boys, the  “girl talk,” in closeups — a single perfectly lit face holding the frame for each drab line. The odd two-shot or group cover shot doesn’t keep these scenes, which should be loose, playful and “acted,” from being slow, static editing exercises.

This Couples Retreat has the occasional sharp observation about work and self-esteem and relationships — “The hardest thing in the world is to have a good man after you”ve had a bad one.” But too much of it is of the “Don’t you know all women crazy?” variety.

A few laughs land — the silly NFL jargon (a little off, as  neither Perry nor his fellow thespians seem to know much about sports) that Marcus uses for every occasion, his “You know what I’m saying?” vocalized pause that gives away when he’s lying.

But there’s the lurking violence — tantrums, shootings and fistfights played for laughs, but which only made me grimace. It is uglier and less forgivable here than ever here, just over-the-top, the sort of “scenes” from which real people never really recover.

Most of the performances are pat  (Yoba is the most subtle player in the cast), too much of the dialogue bland, too many situations insipid little “inserts” crammed between the over-the-top attempted jokes or over-the-line violence.

Perry is of two minds about “trust,” mocking the paranoid and mistrusting Angela’s controlling ways, but honoring his character’s ability to hurl out date and point-specific accusations about when he knew his wife was up to something.

Reviews have been better, overall, though perhaps more stridently split -fewer reviewers are bothering with Perry’s films these days, so the samples aren’t as large. He markets his movie on the Tom Joyner radio show, Oprah, or wherever, reaching for his “base,” and the results speak for themselves. The movie opened to over $30 million at the box office, something always pointed out by those of his fans who take issue with a review of one of his movies.

He may have gotten more polished as a director, even if his close-ups and editing have shined the life out of the party. But for all his success, I still wish this Georgia movie mogul was spending the cash on re-writers (He’s had Writer’s Guild issues) that he was blowing on locations, wardrobe and makeup.  He’s an interesting voice and a canny marketer.  These sermons might go over better if he weren’t so determined to pander and preach to the choir.

TP’s next movie “For Colored Girls” will be released to theaters in January 2011. The film, a version of the play “For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuf” will deal with some pretty serious topics including rape and abortion. The cast, so far, includes Mariah Carey, Janet Jackson, Whoopi Goldberg, Kerry Washington and Macy Gray. Click here more info on that film and be sure to catch “Why Did I Get Married Too?” in theaters now!

HHUCIT’s [Rating:3.5]