Think Like a Man

By all accounts, Think Like a Man should not work as a movie. It's most glaring and annoying problem? That the film is basically a two hour plug for the self-help book it's based on. Now, movies based on self-help books are not new in Hollywood, but this is the first one I remember where the characters actually hold up the book, talk about the book, and constantly bring up the book in its dialogue. Even the book's original author, comedian Steve Harvey, shows up now and then, to talk to the audience and give his words of wisdom. I haven't seen product placement this blatant since last year's Jack and Jill, where they actually managed to work Dunkin' Donuts into the plot, just so the characters could mention the brand name as often as possible.

So yeah, Think Like a Man is not exactly the most subtle movie. It's also not the most original, as I highly doubt that anyone will find Mr. Harvey's thoughts on the battle of the sexes all that striking or revolutionary. But you know what? The movie kind of grew on me. It has a warm, likable tone, a talented cast, and there are quite a few moments that earn some genuine laughs. It's no Mean Girls (still the best movie to be made off of a self-help book), but it will do. The movie follows a group of men and women, juggling multiple plotlines, as they face many of the relationship issues that the book speaks about. Some of the characters probably could have been trimmed without any sacrifice, and the movie can come across as being overstuffed, but it certainly is energetic and sort of fun.

As the film opens, the women are lonely and largely unsuccessful in love. But then, that magical book by Mr. Steve Harvey just happens to drop right out of the sky, and gives them all the answers on how to "think like a man". This threatens to turn the tide in the battle of the sexes, as the men fear that the book is giving away all their secrets, so they decide to use the book against the women in their own relationships. Amongst the multiple plots, we have long-suffering Kristen (Gabrielle Union) wanting her boyfriend since college, Jeremy (Jerry Ferrara) to grow up, and move beyond the video games and cartoons he's obsessed with. Next up, single mom Candace (Regina Hall) falls for "mama's boy" Michael (Terrence J), who is forced to decide whether or not their relationship is more important than the one he has with his doting and over-bearing mother. A successful business woman named Lauren (Taraji P. Henson) falls for a wannabe chef named Dominic (Michael Ealy), and must decide if she can love him, even if he only brings home a tiny paycheck. Finally, Mya (Meagan Good) uses the book's advice on how to win over her lady-killer lover, Zeke (Romany Malco).

Like I said, nothing groundbreaking, and we can predict the happy endings almost as soon as the characters are introduced. But hey, at least the movie acknowledges its own stereotypes, by giving the guys simplistic labels such as "the dreamer", "the happily married guy", "the happily divorced guy", and "the player". Another plus, the movie has been cast very well. These are talented actors who know how to flesh out these simplistic characters. And while they don't exactly make them seem three dimensional, they do come across as very likable, and sometimes funny. Director Tim Story (Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer) also does a good job of juggling the various plots. It helps that all the women and all the men know each other as the film kicks off, so it never feels like the story is jumping around from one point to the next. It manages to come across as a cohesive narrative.

The movie does make a few missteps along the way, however. Most notably is the inclusion of Cedric (Kevin Hart), the "happily divorced man" I mentioned earlier. He doesn't really play a role in any of the stories, or the movie itself, and seems to have been shoehorned in to serve as a motor-mouthed comic observer and sometimes-narrator. He constantly stands on the outside of the action, and his sense of humor quickly grated on me. Fortunately, he's not an ever-present problem. There's another member of the guy group ("the happily married guy") who could have been removed from the movie completely without any problem. He plays no role in any of the plots, and the movie never focuses on his character or his relationship (we don't even get to see his wife). He exists simply as a talking head whenever the guys get together to talk about life, and never makes an impression of any sort.

Look, I'm not implying that Think Like a Man is a great movie, or even an inspired one. It has more than its share of problems. But, the energy of the cast, and the humor of the screenplay manage to smooth over any bumps that may show up along the way. This is a pleasant movie, and one I'm glad I saw. It's not probably one I'll be returning to anytime soon, but for what it is, it works.

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