In the history of civilization, no battle has seen as much sheer longevity and brute veracity as the battle of the sexes — or at least that's what "Think Like a Man" would have you believe.
It's hard to watch a movie like "Think Like a Man" and not automatically compare it to your own current relationship status. As humans, we are inertly creatures of habit. As part of such, we are constantly seeking a means of measurement in order to compare and relate to one another. I suppose that's where "Think Like a Man" fits in the grand scheme of things.
Based on the 2009 book of the same name by Steve Harvey, the film follows a group of men and their pursuit of women who have adapted the book's every word to fit their own dating life. The men soon realize they are being modeled to fit what the book projects, which causes the men to seek revenge on the women, only to realize that true love was staring them in the faces the whole time.
As sappy as some of the undertones of the film are — and trust me, there's enough sap you could cover your pancakes with it — "Think Like a Man" remains heavily rooted as a romantic comedy geared exclusively towards men. It's directed by a man (Tim Story of "Barbershop" fame), told from the male perspective and even based on a book penned by a man. The film's identity is undoubtedly black and male at heart, but the comedic value will resound with members of both sexes.
In the role of Cedric, comedian Kevin Hart notably acts as the primary laugh factory of the film, pumping out jokes with nearly every delivered line. He is surrounded by what stands to be a group of straight role-players who are merely there to highlight the ridiculousness of his existence. In fact, aside from Hart, there are very few secondary sources of comedic value. As an intrinsically male film through and through, "Think Like a Man" remains a fairly soulless and one-dimensional effort.
Despite its mediocrity, a definite highlight is a basketball court showdown equipped with cameos from Ron Artest (excuse me, Metta World Peace) and a backup group of professional basketball players — an alternate version of which is revisited in the closing credits in an uncut format. Unfortunately, scenes such as this are few and far between in "Think Like a Man," which gets bogged down in the cliches of dating rather than bringing anything new and original to the proverbial table. Speaking of cameos though, Chris Brown also makes an appearance in this, playing what appears to be a sad caricature of himself.
The Blu-ray release mirrors the lackluster plot of the film itself, featuring a rather banal list of extras. Of course, you have the quintessential gag reel just to prove how much fun everyone was having on the set. Then there's the rather sparse deleted scenes section, and, last but not least, a behind-the-scenes vignette, which is pretty much everything you'd expect it to be.
With this recent influx of "guy code" and "he said, she said" dominating our cultural landscape, "Think Like a Man" just gets lost in the mix of male-oriented perspectives and does more to perpetuate stereotypes rather than portray a diverse and accurate viewpoint.
Film: 2.5 Yaps Extras: 2.5 Yaps