BWNG were invited to a screening of ‘Think Like A Man’ this week and left the private theatre more than satisfied. The movie, based on Steve Harvey’s New York Time’s #1 best seller ‘Act Like A Lady, Think Like A Man’ follows the story of four already ‘dynamic’ relationships thrown into further turmoil when the women begin to use the tools on the men provided to them by Steve Harvey’s book.

The men catch wind of this and what follows is a hilarious, relatable and conventional battle of the sexes that ends in only a way a romantic comedy can. Starring Michael Ealy, Taraji P Henson, Jeremy Ferrara, Gabrielle Union, Kevin Hart, Romany Malco, Meagan Good, Terrence J and Regina Hall ‘Think Like A Man’ is definitely the beginning of a big movement. So onto the 10 Things We Liked About Think Like A Man

1. It Wasn’t Directed, Written or Produced by Tyler Perry

Let’s face it Tyler Perry is dominating the ‘black cast’ market and where we’re happy that he has brought some relatable issues to the mainstream from that perspective, it’s refreshing to see a different approach and a brand of comedy/drama outside of Madea goes to… (insert anything). We could now watch a movie not knowing what to expect…to an extent. Thank you Tim Story, Will Packer and co.

2. Terrence J’s feature length debut

It’s a bold move to have a newcomer be one of the leads in a film that is more than likely to be scrutinised by the world but Terrence J did a great job. Best known as the presenter for BET flagship show 106 and Park, Terrence J was very convincing as the Momma’s Boy and provided believable chemistry with Regina Hall as the single mother. We expect him to have more roles in future as he has a genuine presence about him.

3. Kevin Hart

Kevin Hart’s character Cedric is naturally the standout comedic relief of the movie; spending the entirety of the movie relating everything to his ‘ex-wife’ Gale, he is an entertaining mess with perfect timing, reactions and one-liners for the characters and ultimately viewer’s entertainment. As a man who can provide non-stop laughs, the director let Kevin basically be himself…and it worked

4. The Pace

Condensing masses of information and chapters from a book into a couple hours of dialogue is no easy feat. The first 20 minutes proved this as it was difficult as a viewer to have investment into the characters as there was so much background work to go through in a little space of time. Naturally however, as stories began to interconnect, the pace of the movie slowed down and sped up at exactly the right times and by the end we were very much settled into the storyline and the ups and downs of the characters individually and as couples.

5. Cameos

Some would argue there were too many cameos; it did feel at some points that there wouldn’t be a scene without a musician, comedian, actor or TV host showing up. Yet, these same cameos were a reminder that this was just a fun motion picture and we were along for an entertaining ride. There were eye-candy cameos for both male and female viewers, I won’t spoil it for you but lets just say I had to give our female colleague a tissue after she started dribbling when a certain supporting actor playing a CEO came out of his car. Plantain has that same affect on me, but that’s another story.

6. The Women

As if you saw a list post and didn’t think we’d mention the women. Yes, Think Like A Man provided a beautiful cast and for the type of movie that it was, we can happily say in addition that acting skills weren’t substituted for looks.  Gabrielle Union, Regina Hall, Tika Sumpter, Kelly Rowland (ok you get two cameo mentions) and Meagan Good all in the film? Thank you!! Our eyes were constantly wide open like a kid peeking at the top shelf in the newsagents.

7. We could relate to the Men

Being brothers with no game, we are no strangers to the plight of men with bruised egos, so when we saw the character’s pitfalls as a result of their actions or lack of actions, it was a friendly reminder that we men are in this sinking ship together. What really made us relate was the comradery between the guys and although they clown on each other, it’s all out of love (insert violins) and the willingness to help each other pull through trials and tribulations. As you will also see, men talk about women and relationships a WHOLE lot more than estimated.

8. Anybody can watch it

There’s always going to be a stigma that due to a near all-black cast, the target audience will be black. Think Like A Man throws that idea out the window with a script, story and characters that anybody can relate to. A single mother, A woman after a man with a high salary, A woman who gives up the goods too early and can’t secure a man, a woman who wants her man to mature/put a ring on it, A man who lives a bachelor life, A ‘happily’ divorced man, A man who is working low paid jobs with heaps of potential, A man who clings to his mother, An immature man…..Everybody can relate to one or more of those characters or at least knows somebody who can, though their titles may seem insulting, they are performed to a less stereotypical view. It’s a film for all ages, races and genders.

9. It Was Loooooooong

Not everybody will agree but the length of the movie (over 2 hours) was integral to balance the four to five different storylines and give characters, friendships and couples enough time to develop for us as the viewer to invest in them. It was also encouraging to see that it was granted that much time in the first place.

10. The Humour

The film was funnier as it went along, with some hilarious can’t breathe because I’m laughing too much moments’. Moments to look out for: The Basketball confrontation with professional players, Cedric and Zeke’s interchange when Zeke is topless, The guys together in the bar and Cedric in the toilets talking to his ex-wife.

Is the movie cheesy in parts? Yes.
Some cliché lines? Of course.
Predictable? 100% ..aren’t all romantic movies?

What you get with Think Like A Man is an entertaining and fun feel-good movie with a likeable cast, witty script and hopefully a gateway to more movies of it’s kind or cast without the co-sign from Perry. It’s definitely worth a cinema trip.

7.5 out a 10! THINK LIKE A MAN HITS OUR CINEMA SCREENS FROM JUNE 22ND WATCH AND ENJOY!