Think Like a Man

Movie review by Sandie Angulo Chen, Common Sense Media
Think Like a Man Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 15+

Cliched relationship comedy has mature romance content.

PG-13 2012 120 minutes
Rate movie

Parents say

age 14+

Based on 2 reviews

Kids say

age 15+

Based on 11 reviews

Common Sense is a nonprofit organization. Your purchase helps us remain independent and ad-free.
Rate movie

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

A Lot or a Little?

The parents' guide to what's in this movie.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Think Like a Man has enough sex and relationship content to make it an iffy choice for immature young teens. And it's not just the passionate kissing and love scenes (men are shown bare chested, women stripping down to their bras and panties) that might be too much for some viewers -- there's also a lot of language (mostly "s--t," "a--hole," "bitch") and alcohol use, as well as some pot smoking. But for older teens who are ready to start thinking about romance, the movie does pose some thought-provoking (albeit a bit cliched) ideas about how different types of people approach meaningful relationships.

Community Reviews

joshua martinez
joshua martinez Adult
September 7, 2012
age 14+

14 and up.

this good charming romantic comedy relationship movie has all the laughs and cute romantic scenes filled with your favorite actors and you got a comedy movie that will enjoy you and your older teens about dating, love, and relationships and parents the only thing you need to worry about in this movie Think Like a Man has some sexual content and some sex talk throughout the movie there's some strong language used and there's nearly constant social drinking such as wine, beer, hard liquor, shots, you name it. Jeremy is known for being a pot head, and he and Kristen smoke marijuana despite the sexual content in this movie the movie does have a positive message about for young women that they don't have to accept a relationship the way it is and have the power to set higher standards for themselves and their partners. But there's no foolproof "formula" for a good relationship, and the advice differs for each couple, leading to so much advice that it could easily overwhelm a teenager new to romantic relationships.

This title has:

Great messages
Too much sex
Too much swearing
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
shawtyyc08
shawtyyc08 Adult
April 28, 2012
age 14+

AMAZING MOVIE !

This movie was hillarious and one of the best african american movies ive seen yet. It was alot of language but over all was a 5 star movie and number 1 recommend.
See all 2 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Based on Steve Harvey's best-selling relationship advice book, THINK LIKE A MAN centers on a group of guy friends: unambitious commitment-phobe Jeremy (Jerry Ferrara), "player" Zeke (Romany Malco), flaky dreamer Dominic (Michael Ealy), mama's boy Michael (Terrence J), and their mid-divorce pal Cedric (Kevin Hart), who narrates the action. After the women in their lives -- proposal-ready Kristen (Gabrielle Union), monogamy seeking Mya (Meagan Good), high-powered superwoman Lauren (Taraji P. Henson), and single mother Candace (Regina Hall) -- read Harvey's self-help book, they start challenging their guys to live up to their standards, until the guys find out and start using Harvey's advice to get what they want.

Is It Any Good?

Think Like a Man is basically a two-hour commercial for Harvey's book, and he's mentioned constantly; that caveat in mind, the movie's plot is formulaic but still quite funny. (Viewers may laugh even as they roll their eyes at themselves for laughing.) Much of the humor is courtesy of Hart, who, as the group's soon-to-be-divorced friend, gets to play both narrator and joker the entire time, observing all his friends as they make misstep after misstep in their relationships.

The cast is full of many of Hollywood's most talented 30- and 40-something African-American stars (just when you wonder why Morris Chestnut is missing, he actually appears in a memorable cameo), and they supply a near-distracting amount of eye candy (a disproportionate number of scenes occur early in the morning or during workouts, just to show off everyone's bodies) ... which isn't necessarily a bad thing with such a paper-thin premise (i.e. guys need to grow up and treat their women better). When it's not bombarding the audience with Harvey's persona, Think Like a Man includes enough laugh-out-loud moments and sugary-sweet messages on love to be not only tolerable but pleasant, as cliché-filled romcoms go.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about whether the adult, sexual relationships and advice in Think Like a Man are too mature for teens. Who do you think the film is aimed at?

  • Does any of Harvey's advice apply to teen relationships? Parents, talk to your teens about your own values regarding dating.

  • How does the movie portray drinking and drug use? Would there be different/additional consequences in real life?

Movie Details

Our Editors Recommend

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate