Rated: PG-13
Gender roles in modern dating are a fascinating dynamic. At once women want to be liberated, strong, and independent. And yet they expect men to pick up the check. Our changing roles in society and how we adapt is the heart of Think Like a Man, the unlikely cinematic adaptation of comedian Steve Harvey’s self-help book. A glorified sitcom packed with solid actors playing shallow characters, and packed with some good laughs, Think Like a Man is an affable, date-friendly flick.
Strong, smart, and sexy women keep striking out at love. Men, it seems, aren’t what they used to be. They’re slackers. They’re players. They’re dreamers. And they aren’t fit to date, let alone marry. Rather than sit home waiting for Mr. Right to happen along the women take matters into their own hands using lessons learned in the best-selling Think Like a Man and test them out on an eclectic group of friends resulting in a host of predictable rom-com clichés but enough jokes to keep the 2-hour flick moving along.
No one character or actor takes the spotlight in this film, though the dynamic between the CEO (Taraji P. Henson) and aspiring chef (Michael Ealy) is the most interesting. By the end of the movie, though, the names of the characters all melded together and the only way to keep them straight was to associate them with the other projects they had done—Turtle from Entourage was dating Syd from Bad Boys II. Romany Malco from Weeds is making eyes at Meagan Good from Californication.
That’s the film’s biggest shortfall—so much is shoved into this movie that there’s little time left for any character development. The movie feels rushed despite being two hours long. Little more than a big screen sitcom (I wouldn’t be shocked to see TBS launch “Steve Harvey’s Think Like a Man” next Fall), this movie features enough laughs to justify your entertainment dollars.
Rating: B-
Recommended If You Like:
- Barber Shop
- He's Just Not That Into You
- Jumping the Broom
