THINK LIKE A MAN (Tim Story). 122 minutes. Opens Friday (April 20). See listing. Rating: NNN
Think Like A Man is a slick bit of self-promotion by author (and executive producer) Steve Harvey, who uses his own tell-all guidebook, Act Like A Lady, Think Like A Man, to kick off the plot and set up the punchlines in this harmless rom-com.
The movie follows a handful of black women who heed the advice of Harvey’s bible on how to deal with stereotypical males, including the player, the mama’s boy and the guy too comfy to drop some dime on a ring. Armed with these Oprah-certified tips, the women engage in romantic warfare while the guys use that same text to fight back.
There’s no point complaining that all the characters are types, since the movie is based on a book that makes a point of categorizing people by sex and romantic malfunction.
But some strong actors in the cast (like the charming Meagan Good and the clownish Kevin Hart) make the most of the thin material.
Besides, it’s hard to hate on a movie where Chris Brown shows up to play up his own douchiness.
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