Think Like a Man





Directed By: Tim Story

Starring: Michael Ealy, Jay Ferrara, Meagan Good, Regina Hall, Kevin Hart, Taraji P. Henson, Terrence Jenkins, Romany Malco, and Gabrielle Union

Hollywood has decided to make this third weekend in April about love.  At their center, the two films headlining the box office this weekend are love movies.  The Lucky One is the latest romance drama to hit theaters, while Think Like a Man is the new romantic comedy.  Normally, I would say that having two romantic flicks in one weekend is a lose-lose situation for the guys because there's nothing that should appeal to us in theory.  However, Think Like a Man has me thinking otherwise.

Zeke (Romany Malco) is "The Player".  His smooth moves never fail him with the ladies. His problem is that real women like Mya (Meagan Good) can spot his moves a mile away and won't hesitate to call him out on his crap.  Dominic (Michael Ealy) is "The Dreamer".  He hops from career to career and still doesn't know what he wants to do with his life despite the fact that he's a grown ass man.  That's not a good look for him when he meets Lauren (Taraji P. Henson), a woman who's looking for a man with a plan.  Her guy has to have something going on, and being unemployed is unacceptable.

Jeremy (Jay Ferrara) is "The Non-Committer".  He has no real life goals and doesn't show any desire to marry his longtime girlfriend Kristen (Gabrielle Union) of nine years.  He doesn't commit himself to his career either.  Several years after getting a degree, he still works in a junior-level position at his firm.  Then, there's Michael (Terrence Jenkins), "The Mama's Boy" who can't seem to make any other girl the number one woman in his life but his mother Loretta (Jenifer Lewis).  That's a big problem when he runs into his old high school crush Candace (Regina Hall) whom he wants to date.

Cedric (Kevin Hart) is "The Happily Divorced Man".  He's on his way to freedom from his wife Gail (Wendy Williams) and wants to help his boys find the same happiness.  Finally, we have Bennett (Gary Owen), "The Happily Married Man".  Life just doesn't get any better for him, and he could care less about Cedric’s big talk.

These guys come together to talk about love and life during their regular basketball games.  They definitely have a host of issues, and they have no problems sharing them with one another.  They just don't know the extent of their problems.  When their ladies read Steve Harvey's book Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man: What Men Really Think About Love, Relationships, Intimacy, and Commitment, they start using Harvey's insight on the male gender to gain the upper hand in their relationships.  When the guys find out, war ensues, and their relationships spin out of control.

Think Like a Man is one of the most enjoyable black movies I've seen in quite a while.  It's fresh.  It's heartwarming.  It's raunchy.  It's authentic.  With great performances from the cast, it's a film you can't help but enjoy.  There are big laughs, sweet romances, and plenty of life situations to which we all can relate.  That's all you need for a good movie, and they've got it all.  It doesn't hurt that there's a great soundtrack as well with tunes from the likes of Luther Vandross, Barry White, and John Legend.

Think Like a Man is one of those films that could have easily been sappy, but it isn't.  Every time there's a saccharine moment on screen, the film turns the scene on its head in a refreshingly edgy way.  They're able to do so because they have two secret weapons, Kevin Hart and Romany Malco.  Hart is one damn hilarious fool who is absolutely crazy in this film.  In many ways, he makes this movie more of a comedy than a romance.  Beyond Hart, Malco is bringing his A-game as the "negro gigolo".  The former star of No Ordinary Family has no problems being one funny asshole in this flick, and he's the only other cast member who consistently delivers big laughs like Hart.

Every actor or actress that has starred in a good black movie in the last decade or so is in Think Like a Man. There are so many surprising cameos and bit roles by actors, singers, and athletes I haven't seen in awhile on screen.  Whether Wendy Williams, Morris Chestnut, or one of the many others, these appearances add a certain delight to the film.

Despite the fact that I thoroughly enjoyed Think Like a Man, I do have one problem with it.  The film seems like a never-ending promo for Steve Harvey's book.  I know it's based on the book, and I know this is inevitable to some extent, but there's no need to shove it down our throats.  Because of this, the film has some moments where it feels like an infomercial, especially when Harvey himself is on camera.  This takes a great deal away from this otherwise hilarious romantic comedy.

If it wasn't for the fact that the movie was a big glaring promo for Steve Harvey's book, I might have given the movie a 0.03% rating.  As it stands, Think Like a Man gets a 0.06% rating.  Have a few glasses of Chardonnay with this one.  Stick around after the credits as well for some hilarious courtside clips with Kevin Hart and all the pro basketball players that make cameos in the movie.