What Men Want

Ali Davis (Taraji P. Henson) is a tough businesswoman. But despite tremendous success, she is once again passed over in favor of a man as a potential partner in the sports management agency she works for. Ali gives free rein to her frustration at a lively hen party and ends up with an ominous fortune teller who wants to solve her problem. Sure enough, the next day Ali wakes up and can suddenly hear men's thoughts. At first she's shocked and often disgusted, and wants to get rid of the gift as soon as possible - until she realizes that she can use the ability perfectly for her own purposes. But then something happens that Ali wouldn't have expected.

Nearly two decades ago, Nancy Meyers brought the comedy What Women Want to packed movie theaters. With plenty of heart and a charming play on typical clichés, the Mel Gibson vehicle advanced to blockbuster status. Now director Adam Shankman is bringing the reverse version to our cinemas. The problem: What men want is just not funny. The film has a few good ideas, but they're almost completely buried under shrill shrieks, crude zingers and really annoying clichés. There's no form of charm or heart here. Even when there is something like an emotional moment, the staging and acting of the cast always remain at a rather second-rate level.

And that's despite the fact that Golden Globe winner Taraji P. Henson was chosen as the lead actress, who actually knows her craft. And it's not like the film doesn't address some perfectly valid and important points. How Ali has to assert herself in a male-dominated profession and yet is never really accepted holds enormous potential for witty and, most importantly, relevant humor. But this comedy forgoes that almost entirely. Instead, there is one clumsy sex joke after another, a lot of screeching and boring stereotypes.

To admit, a few good laughs has What Men Want then to offer. But with a running time of almost two hours, this is far too little. Here it becomes clear once again: A good idea is not enough to make a good movie. Without the right script and a director who doesn't just use a sledgehammer, it just doesn't work. And that's why there is only one for this tired dud: Conditionally worth seeing!

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp