Was Steve Harvey’s bestseller an onscreen lecture fest or was it a movie well worth your dollars?
By: Taren Vaughan
Comedian Steve Harvey has secured two other titles in front his name since the release of his book Act Like A Lady, Think Like A Man, author and relationship expert. Though this is true, some women and men alike have expressed both their praises and beefs with that second one. Members of the male population depict him as a traitor, dishing out all their well kept secrets and mysteries. On the other hand, he took women on a trip inside a man’s thoughts, giving them a refreshed “playbook” as he likes to call it. Now the book has been taken to the big screen, with a talented cast to do it with. The level of anticipation was at a great high with this film and some of our readers were dying to know just how the book compared to the movie and hit me with a few questions to answer after I watched it for myself.
Question: “Did the movie relate back to the book at all?”
Aside from the quick snippets of Harvey himself reciting parts of it, the story lines in the movie did reflect what was emphasized in the book, including a breakdown of the types of men that most females have run into at least once in our dating experiences. “The Player”, “The Mama’s Boy” and “The Non-Committer”, characters that were played with perfection by funny man Romany Malco, big screen newbie Terrence J, and Entourage’s Jerry Ferrara, were seen along with the many other representations that are pinpointed by Harvey. Not verbatim, because that would be boring as hell, the film brought some other strong points from the book to life from how to keep yourself from being the “sports fish” and why some men’s penises have a tendency to continuously roam. The one twist that the movie added was how these many men acted when faced with their opposites, in female form, women of whom studied the book down to a tee, highlighters and all.
Question: “Was there too much personality in the movie as far as the cast members go?
An initial fear of many was that there would be a comedic overload based on the cast line-up, too much personality would take away from the movie. But to my surprise, the movie had just the right balance. Comedian Kevin Hart brought much laughter with every scene he was apart of, playing the divorced yet married homeboy who always seemed to find the negative in situations. Known to add a dose of humor of their own, Taraji P. Henson and Regina Hall, playing best friend duo Lauren and Candace, nailed their roles as the mother of a young son living the single life and a top executive that only checks for a man with an extensive cash flow. Along with the main cast, there were several cameo appearances in the film, with familiar faces some of which included NBA stars, stand-up comedians and a talk show host with a big personality and stature to match.
Humor-filled yet extremely predictable throughout, one didn’t have to rack their brain to figure out what the next scene would hold in Think Like A Man. Although a great film, the element of surprise was lacking in this one; it ended in a typical Hollywood fashion. And we all know for a fact that when it comes to relationships, they all don’t end in total bliss and everyone doesn’t have the chance to mend their broken unions. This aspect of the film took away from the realism of the movie from the hardcore truth that it was based on.
One thing that can be said, just like the book, the knowledge that was dropped could be easily gotten from a close homeboy who knows you well. And that is free of charge.
As for the movie itself, it was very entertaining and I assure movie goers won’t walk away feeling cheated.