What Men Want

What Men Want

Starring Taraji P. Henson, Tracy Morgan, Josh Brener, Aldis Hodge

Directed by Adam Shankman

The Story:
Ali Davis (Taraji P. Henson) has always lived in a man's world - from her boxing father (Richard Roundtree) to working at an almost all-male sports agency, she's pretty much been considered one of the guys, except she's constantly being neglected for a promotion basically due to her sexuality.  She doesn't understand the male mind, which her long-suffering assistant Brandon (Josh Brener) could attest, and she comes off as standoffish and self-seeking.

At her friend's bachelorette party, she consults a psychic (Erykah Badu), who gives her an odd drink, and then she proceeds to knock herself out at a dance club.  When she comes to, she realizes she can hear men's thoughts, and while at first she doesn't want it, she learns that she can use men's inner thoughts to make her way to the top - by signing the new NBA first round draft pick Jamal (Shane Paul McGhie) by going through his overly protective father/manager Joe Dolla (Tracy Morgan) by convincing him she's a family woman by pulling in her latest crush Will (Aldis Hodge) and his young son.  As she begins to really use this gift, she also falls farther and farther from her own thoughts, and threaten to loose everything she worked so hard to build.

The Synopsis:
There are few actors and actresses who can transcend genres and not be typecast into one particular theme.  When we see Daniel Radcliffe in anything, we automatically think of Harry Potter.  When we see Will Ferrell in anything serious, we can't take the film seriously.  Yet there are some who can cross genre platforms and make them all work successfully - Charlize Theron is one who comes to mind, a woman who can do action ("Atomic Blonde"), comedy ("Tully") and drama ("Monster").  Another name is Taraji P. Henson, who has done some questionable films as of late ("Proud Mary" and "Acrimony" most recently come to mind) - but she can still pull off every genre.  "What Men Want" allows her to express her comedic side, and once again she gives a personal performance to a character that you can't help but root for even when you know she's in the wrong, and who helps elevate a generic comedy to something a bit better than what you'd expect.

In 2000, "What Women Want" was released, a film directed by a woman (Nancy Meyers) that centered around a man (Mel Gibson) who could suddenly read women's thoughts and use that to his advantage and eventually learn to be a better person.  Now, "What Men Want" is a "sister sequel" directed by a man (Adam Shankman) that centers around a woman (Taraji P. Henson) who could suddenly read men's thoughts and uses that to her advantage and eventually learns to be a better person.  Yes, the film is pretty much a carbon copy of the original with a gender swap (because, let's face it, a film like "What Women Want" would never fly in today's world), but due to Henson's presence, it creates something a bit more magical than the traditional comedy copy-and-paste script.

While that copy-and-paste is still there (we get to enjoy as Ali uses her new mental powers to her advantage, and wait for the "all is lost" moment when everything goes array and then the eventual comeback that you fully expect to happen), it's the journey that's the most important, not the final destination.  Ali embodies how many underappreciated women (and even men) feel in the work force, surrounded by a dudes' club where she can't gain entry because she doesn't got...well, you know.  So when she learns she can read men's thoughts, she sets out to prove to the men that she can be the best - by any means necessary.  Here is where a typical actor would cause the audience to turn on her, especially after Ali uses her new love interest and his five year old son to help solidify a deal, but since it's Cookie, you don't really mind.  She lights the screen with her sheer presence, and really shines with her comedic timing, especially when she's bantering with her assistant, performed with brilliance by comedic mainstay Josh Brener.

Throughout the comedy, there's also a lesson that's learned by both Ali and the audience - a lesson that we're supposed to listen more than talk, and hear what's in a person's heart rather than what's in their head.  A  lesson that teaches us to think for ourselves, and take others' thoughts and feelings into consideration and not shove people away.  It's a valuable lesson that Taraji teaches us, and she uses comedy to do it.

The Summary:
With a great comedic performance by Taraji P. Henson, "What Men Want" stands out a bit more than your generic comedy film and gives you a character to root for, even when she's in the wrong.

The Score: B+