A “chick flick” is a film in which the humor, plot, sentiment and action appeal only to women, and boyfriends who get dragged to them have a deep and profound hatred for life as long as they are sitting in the theater watching it.

Director Steven Herek, however, has managed to transcend the stereotype and offer a film that, although directed at women, might just be enjoyable for the boyfriends.

In “Man of the House,” Tommy Lee Jones stars as Roland Sharp, a deeply dedicated and humorless Texas Ranger, assigned to protect a group of Texas Longhorn cheerleaders after they witness a murder. They’re young, he’s old; they’re positive, he’s cynical; they’re women, he’s a man — hilarity ensues.

The humor is not anything new, relying mostly on tried-and-true situations of clashing stereotypes between genders and generations. With a relatively unoriginal story and female characters played on a stereotypical hunch, “Man of the House” is a mine field ready to destruct with one wrong move by director or actor.

But it succeeds, mostly because of the participation of Jones, who navigates himself and his cast through the minefield, arriving safely at the end of the movie, relatively unharmed.

Special attention must be paid to Jones, eternally cool, and so perfectly tongue-in-cheek that he achieves a flawless balance between undeniable respect and self-deprecating humor. An unapologetic Texan, Jones’ weathered face, wrinkled and leathery, seems mostly untouched, if not accentuated. This small detail visually illustrates Jones’ age and experience, as well as the dusty suffocating heat of both his occupation and the Texas atmosphere. He is the reason the film not only works, but is genuinely entertaining.

Jones is also the reason boyfriends might actually have a good time at the movie. A handful of action sequences, punctuating the overarching story of the murder mystery, appeal to alternative tastes and incorporate the male viewer. At times, the film nods to old westerns, like the creative twist on the classic shootout, cleverly orchestrated by Herek near the end of the film.

“Man of the House” is a pleasant surprise. Yes, it lacks originality and it is thick with contrived portrayals of college cheerleaders, but Herek manages to pull off a satisfactory comedy that works for various generations and both sides of the bed.