What Men Want Highlights Women’s Worth [REVIEW]

Director: Adam Shankman

Stars: Taraji Henson, Josh Brener, Aldis Hodge, Wendi McLendon-Covey and Tracy Morgan

What Men Want  is a spin off the original film What Women Want, produced in the year 2000. In the last few years, the Me Too movement has gained way, even in the theatrical scope of the matter. Producers have remade many movies switching out male roles for women ones. For instance, Ghostbusters originally starred three male characters, but in 2016 was remade starring four female actresses, Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon and Leslie Jones,.

What Men Want is directed by Adam Shankman and stars Taraji Henson, Josh Brener, Aldis Hodge, Wendi McLendon-Covey and Tracy Morgan. Mark Cuban and Shaquille O’Neal also take on a cameo role in this romantic comedy.  

Taraji Henson is probably best known for her role in the hit TV series Empire. She has done many films as well, most of them being in the genres of thriller, drama or action. When it comes to comedy, Taraji has had a few supporting roles in movies such as Think Like A Man and Date Night. This is her first starring role in a romantic comedy and she hit it out of the park.

In What Men Want,  Taraji plays the part of Ali, a sports agent working to prove her worth as a woman in what is thought to be a man’s field of businesses. After losing a promotion to a fellow male college, she sets out for answers.

This remake of What Men Want is quite similar to its original. For instance, Ali and Nick, played by Mel Gibson in What Men Want, are both in the position of possibly being promoted. In both movies, each of them were turned down and the promotion was given to someone else.

This couldn’t have been a good remake without the main concept of telepathy. In each movie, both of the main characters can suddenly read the minds of the other sex; and they both use the ability to their advantage. One difference in the telepathy aspect, is how they gained their telepathic ability. Nick shocks himself by falling into a bathtub with a hair dryer.

Ali and three of her friends get together for a bachelorette party and a psychic is hired to come to the house to give readings. The Seer, as she calls herself, gave Ali a tarot reading and could see she wanted to connect with men. Then the seer gave her some tea and Ali slightly hallucinated as she recited an incantation. Just after, the four of them head to a nightclub and Ali hits her head on the stage, getting knocked out.

The next day she wakes up in the hospital with the ability to hear what men are thinking. She freaks out, as most of us would, and eventually reveals her secret to her assistant, Brandon. Between Taraji’s feisty sarcastic attitude to her assistants innocent and meek demeanor, the two of them make a great combination for well written comedy. Brandon is openly gay and consistently tries to fit in with Ali’s crowd by using their mannerisms and slang which cracks me up every time. Whenever they were on screen together, I was laughing, without a doubt.

Ali seeks out the Seer to try and return this ability she has, but the Seer has other plans. Instead, she asks, “Weren’t you complaining about men holding you down at the job? Now, if you can read their thoughts, how can they do that?”, and suddenly Ali wants to keep her mind-reading ability.

Over the course of the movie she uses this ability to try to get ahead in her professional and personal life. She works at a relationship, tries to become a star athletes agent, plays match-maker for her assistant and even finds out when and where the men’s secret poker night is. After getting in their minds, she flattened their wallets.

As a romantic comedy, I must say, this movie hit both sectors on point. As far as the comedy aspect, I was laughing constantly throughout the movie, mainly because of Brandon and his relationship and communication with Ali. I even tallied up the times I ‘laughed out loud’, it was 16 times.

As far as romance, the film isn’t mushy-gushy, but feel-good worthy. She falls for a guy that she ends up using for her advantage. Eventually she loses him and tries to gain him back. I won’t be a spoiler, but the ending was sweet, and everyone won out in the end.

This is a must see movie that truly highlights a woman’s worth. if you’re in for a warm hearted film that is sure to make you laugh, check out What Men Want.