"Think Like a Man," based on the book by Steve Harvey, was surprisingly entertaining. There never was a dull moment and the audience enjoyed every minute of it, including the credits and bloopers.
The film follows several couples, including an intimidating independent woman making six figures dealing with a "dreamer," and a mama's boy dating a single mother.
"Think Like A Man" starts by introducing each character and their current situation.
The men are just trying to have fun and hang with the boys, while their wives and girlfriends are losing the battle when it comes to getting their men to do what they want - that is, until they find a how-to book, "Act Like A Lady, Think Like A Man," written by Steve Harvey, and they conspire to force the guys to cooperate.
All too soon the guys figure out what their girlfriends are up to, and the battle of the sexes begins.
One interesting aspect of the film is that the book it is based on is featured as a prominent on screen plot device. So, while it is based on the help given in the book itself, the book almost becomes a character in its own right.
The theme of the film is apparent in every scene - that love is a battlefield. There is a great balance between tears of laughter and tears of sadness in the film, which is directed by Tim Story ("Barbershop") and stars Chris Brown, Taraji P. Henson and Gabrielle Union. Kevin Hart gives an outstanding comedic performance as the loudmouth friend you are embarrassed by but can't help but love. Without him, the film would not have been the same.
"Think Like a Man" is a strong ensemble comedy - the number of recognizable stars gave the film an extra boost at the box office this past weekend, where it dethroned "The Hunger Games" and surpassed Zac Efron's latest, "The Lucky One" to earn the number one spot.
Amber Le can be reached at kimberly.le@student.shu.edu.
