WHAT MEN WANT (2019) – My rating: 8.5/10

“What Men Want” is a fantasy comedy directed by Adam Shankman and is loosely based on the 2000 film, “What Women Want” in reverse gender. The plot follows a woman who, after drinking a potent concoction given by a shaman, gains the ability to hear men’s inner thoughts. While this is not a new concept, the movie is surprisingly funny.

Ali Davis (Taraji P. Henson) is an executive sports agent working for Summit Worldwide Management, which is mostly male-dominated. She’s been over-looked for partner several times but believes today is the day. She and her gay assistant Brandon (Josh Brener), who wants to be a sports rep, are gearing up toward a celebration, believing she is going to make partner. Ali is passed over once again, which makes her fighting mad. Ali’s boss, Nick (Brian Bosworth), acknowledges that Ali is a hard worker but he says she just doesn’t connect well with the other men. Ali announces to everyone in the building that she WILL sign rising basketball superstar Jamal Barry (Shane Paul McGhie) and prove to others why she deserves to be partner. Ali goes to meet her co-workers as they try to work out a deal with Jamal and his father, Joe Dolla (Tracy Morgan) but fails.

Ali spends time with her father Skip (Richard Roundtree) at the boxing gym he manages before they go to grab dinner. Skip points out a new bartender named Will (Aldis Hodge), whom Ali finds attractive. She stays there to introduce herself, and Will makes her a special cocktail. They go back to his house where they end up engaging in a wild night of sex. In the morning, Ali is in for a surprise when Will’s six year old son Ben (Auston Moore), appears in the bedroom wearing her panties on his head siting, “Wakonda forever” from the movie, Black Panther. She realizes she is late for work and runs out, showing up to a photo shoot wearing evidence of her wild night.

Ali is scheduled to attend a bachelorette party that evening for Mari, (Tamala Jones) one of her three best girlfriends, which also includes Ciarra, (Phoebe Robinson) and Olivia (Wendi McLendon-Covey),  who employed the services of a psychic named Sister (Erikah Badu).  Ali is first to get a reading by Sister and is given tea made of weed, Peyote and Cocaine. While dancing, Ali is hit by a questionable object that causes her to fall, hit her head and pass out. She wakes up in a hospital where she discovers she is able to hear her male doctor’s thoughts. Ali is so freaked out by her new found power, she runs all the way to her company building able to hear the thoughts of all males around her. Upset, she tracks down the psychic for help. Sister advices her to use this gift to get what she wants at work. Agreeing, Ali goes back to her job and starts listening to the mind of her colleagues.

I was truly surprised at how funny “What Men Want” is.  The original with Mel Gibson was nowhere near as funny.  The story is full of scenes that are both hilarious and entertaining.  Keep in mind, “What Men Want” is a fantasy comedy and consider my above lead-in to be short and sweet because there is so much more to come in the actual film.  The acting is absolutely brilliant as is the plot.  Viewers rated “What Men Want” five out of five stars, I don’t think I’ve ever seen that happen before.  Rotten Tomatoes was just that, a rotten rating of only 43%.  I have no clue why they rated the movie so low but I really enjoyed it.  Check It Out, you won’t be sorry.

UNCLE DREW (20180 – My rating: 8.5/10

Uncle Drew is a sports comedy directed by Charles Stone III and written by Jay Longino. Being that I’m not a lover of comedies, I didn’t know what to expect of Uncle Drew. All I can say is, I’m glad went to see it. To my surprise, a 5:05pm showing on a Tuesday, only had the 2 front rows available. I’ve changed my opinion of animated films and I think I will have to change my opinion of comedies. Keep reading to find out what all the fuss is about.

Uncle Drew is a basketball legend, especially in his neighborhood. Years ago, he was supposed to play at the Rucker Classic with his team, but due to an (unknown to everyone else) conflict, he and his team broke up and disappeared the night before the competition. He seemed to have disappeared, as no one had heard from him since that night of the Rucker Classic.

—  SLIGHT SPOILERS BELOW  —

Currently, Dax (Ashton Tyler) is an underappreciated coach of a team called Harlem’s Money. Broke and disillusioned with the condition of his current team, Dax also has a longstanding rivalry with Mookie (Nick Kroll). Mookie is a great basketball player and on a winning team. He also has a lot of mouth, as he steals Dax’s star player, Casper Jones (Aaron Gordon) and Dax’s girlfriend, Jess (Tiffany Haddish), who kicks him out of her apartment, leaving Dax homeless as well as broke.

An older neighborhood acquaintance, Angelo (J.B. Smoove) who hangs out in the barbershop, suggest that Dax try to find and meet Uncle Drew (Kyrie Irving), after he is turned down by all the players he approached. Sad and bewildered, Dax oddly gets to see Uncle Drew play in the park. Drew turns out to be an exceptional basketball player, despite his age, so Dax approaches him and convinces Uncle Drew to join his team. However, there’s a condition. Uncle Drew wants his own team which consist of Preacher (Chris Webber), who has a wife, Betty Lou (Lisa Leslie) and a ministry, Boots (Nate Robinson) who’s in a wheel chair and in a nursing home under his granddaughter’s care Maya (Erica Ash), Big Fella (Shaquille O’Neal) who is enormous and teaches a karate class and Lights (Reggie Miller) who is partially blind.

To see where this all leads is hilarious.  Dax and Uncle Drew begin an adventure that will have you laughing the whole time.  Uncle Drew is utterly ridiculous but fun despite it’s craziness.  This movie is a delightful fantasy that will take you away from all the stressful politics, and negativity of the day.  I highly recommend it.  Everyone clapped when the movie ended — that’s always a good sign.  Check it out!