Passed up for a well-deserved promotion, sports agent Ali Davis wonders what else she needs to do to succeed in a man's world. Hoping to find answers from a psychic, Ali drinks a weird concoction that suddenly allows her to hear what men are thinking. Using her newfound ability, Ali starts to turn the tables on her obnoxious male colleagues while racing to sign the next basketball superstar.
Review:
In the age of reboots and remakes with a twist, it was only a matter of time until Mel Gibson's 2000 comedy, "What Women Want" became fair game.
"What Men Want" delivers the gender-swapped spin on that story, with actress Taraji P. Henson taking on the starring role in this version.
Henson is allowed to run the gamut of her comedic skills with director Adam Shankman tapping into her expert comedic timing, facial and physical comedy.
Henson's character Ali Davis is someone who is likeable enough, and whose rough around the edges characteristics are understandable given the male-dominated environment she finds herself in. The movie charms in a similar way that original movie does, with the benefit of using technological updates incorporated into the story, and along with a large number of pop cultural references in tow.
The emotional core of the movie is not only with the romantic relationships that Henson's character is involved in but more so with her gay assistant Brandon, played by Josh Brener. The two have great banter, easily riffing off each other with Brener's physical comedy excelling as well.
Comedy is very subject, as what may work for one person, will not necessarily work for an another. The comedy in "What Men Want " is not cerebral, and relies heavily on the American school of comedy with its use of physical comedy, and outlandish moments.
This does not make it any less enjoyable, but it does mean that the movie works for a particular audience.
A standout moment in the movie has to be the church scene. Without giving too much away, the scene plays out for big laughs, while also swinging for big emotional moments. The scene doesn't hit as hard as what it could, but it is funny and makes the movie worth watching.
The movie has a great set of characters that surround Henson, with everyone getting have their moment to get in a laugh.
What made "What Women Want" so enjoyable was that it gave us a story of man's world being comedically turned upside as he is gifted with the power to learn what women want. It gave us a movie where the lead male character became uncharacteristically sensitive and embraced his feminity while still being a man.
It was naturally played for laughs at the time, but the takeaway message proved to be affirming and wholesome.
With "What Men Want", the movie works well and delivers on laughs often enough, but it lacks the punch that the original did, and that is in large part due to the fish-out-of-water feel that the 2000s movie brought.
If you want to watch a popcorn comedy this weekend, then "What Men Want" would definitely be a fun way to spend your time.
Rating: 3/5
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