Tyler Perry Presents Peeples - C-

Rated PG-13, 95 minutes

Robinson is the best part of routine dysfunctional family comedy "Peeples"

Kerry Washington, Craig Robinson and David Alan Grier

Craig Robinson of TV's "The Office" is an underused, underrated and naturally likable comedian, so his transition to the big screen comes as no surprise. Without him, the predictable, thin and wildly unrealtistic (Kerry Washington with Craig Robinson? C'mon...) new comedy "Peeples," essentially a black "Meet the Parents," would be much worse than it is. Sparks fly in the Hamptons when "regular guy" Wade Walker (Robinson) crashes the preppy Peeples family reunion to ask his girlfriend Grace (Kerry Washington) to marry him. Little does he know that this dysfunctional family, led by Grace's stern father Virgil (David Alan Grier), have more secrets they can handle. The uneven but effusive "Peeples" is essentially a one-joke movie yet infused with a load of charm thanks to Robinson and a tremendously appealing cast. Directed and co-written by "ATL" and "Drumline" screenwriter Tina Gordon Chism and co-produced by Tyler Perry (thus the "Tyler Perry Presents" tagline) the best thing about it is that Robinson is so likable and Perry doesn't direct or write here, or we'd end up with "Madea-in-the-Hamptons." Though "Peeples" is a slight notch above Madea in terms of quality, its broad "Meet the Parents"-style premise is too familiar and the gags are just too easy, most falling flat and ending up with a messy, mildly entertaining movie. It also scratches the surface of some serious issues (such as substance abuse, sexuality, theft and more) which are made fun of but never really dealt with. Grier, inhabiting the DeNiro "Parents" role, is serviceable but underused, while Washington and S. Epatha Merkerson (of "Law & Order") are lovely as ever; most memorable are the fun cameos from the still beautiful Diahann Carroll and the still crotchety Melvin Van Peebles as the grandparents. The best moments of "Peeples" come from the few moments that Robinson is allowed to casually riff on the situation at hand, which doesn't happen near enough. I look forward to what the genuinely funny Robinson can do with better material than the incoherent, but sporadically (make that very sporadically) funny "Peeples." The Perry association may make this a modest hit with his audiences, but otherwise skip this lame effort.

Wes's Grade: C-