brchthethird Review of Think Like a Man

Think Like a Man (2012)

Formulaic "battle of the sexes" comedy elevated by the charisma of its cast

[7/10 · 14 November 2014]

Ostensibly based on Steve Harvey's best-selling book, this film uses the book more as a springboard for a rather typical battle-of-the-sexes plot that, while rather formulaic, delivers on the charisma and chemistry of its cast. Speaking of the cast, there's a who's who of African-American talent on display, with Kevin Hart, Michael Ealy and Gabrielle Union among the standouts. Everyone here brings their A-game when it came to the comedy, and no one really felt out of place, even the token white guy. Granted, there isn't a whole lot of character development and certain title cards actually play up the stereotype that each person is portraying (originating in Steve Harvey's book), but the actors play their parts very well. Steve Harvey also shows up occasionally to quote his book, essentially providing commentary on some scenes. Of course, the final act has the obligatory melodrama and unbelievably perfect resolution that we've come to expect from this type of movie. It might be sweet, but for me it was a little too formulaic and saccharine. Still, the 90 minutes that preceded it were mostly enjoyable, with lots of great laugh-out-loud moments. This isn't the best romantic comedy in the world, but you could do a whole lot worse. On another note, the soundtrack is great and features a good mix of old-school and modern R&B.