The Man (2005) User Reviews

It's really not that bad

[druss44121-1 · 5/10 · 6 September 2005]

What can be expected from a movie called The Man? A comedy from the director of American Outlaws starring Samuel L. Jackson riffing on his Jules character from Pulp Fiction with the dad from American Pie can't be decent, can it? Surprisingly, this new fall comedy is actually humorous if not outright hilarious, and it is certainly better than it looks on paper or in the TV-spots. It is a great example of a "pleasant surprise." That's not to say the premise isn't pretty cookie-cutter: Andy Fidler, an innocent dental tools salesman (cue Eugene Levy) gets caught up in an illegal weapons plot and must deal with Special Agent Derrick Vann (Samuel L. Jackson playing what he plays best) and his crazy world.

Vann and Andy happen to be polar opposites, as well. What a surprise.

If this all sounds strangely like the average buddy comedy about the well-mannered white guy and the tough-as-nails black guy who don't get along at first but learn to appreciate each other and then become best friends, well, it pretty much is. However, unlike many buddy comedies, this one is actually enjoyable.

At a brisk 83 minutes the movie never lags too much, and instead of focusing on its implausible story or cliché subplots The Man keeps it mainly about the chemistry between its two main characters. Also, although much of the script is forgettable seldom is pure boredom reached.

Traps such as unoriginal overused subplots and gaping plot holes can often catch many unsuspecting buddy comedies by surprise and help make them DOA (dead on arrival), but The Man actually seems to revel in its unoriginality, content with not pushing boundaries but with instead just having some fun.

In the acting department, Samuel L. Jackson is especially a surprise. While it seems he would be pretty much bored of playing the same badass character time and time again, he manages to come off convincingly and even have some fun riffing on his theatrical persona. However, the movie never winks too much at the audience and it is able to stand on its own two feet rather than constantly say, "Hey guys don't mess with the Samuel L!" The fact that Eugene Levy is very talented at playing a character who is truly clueless also helps. Both Jackson and Levy have good chemistry and even though it's pretty much a two-man show The Man comes off without a hitch because it knows what its strength is: Levy and Jackson.

The only other actor that even warrants a mention really is Luke Goss as Joey. He helps make a mundane role tolerable and interesting. He doesn't steal the show, but he has fun with being the typical criminal villain surrounded by non-descript henchmen.

In the end, much credit should go to director Les Mayfield for his quick pacing and use of a variety of jokes. Again, with a movie that is basically just a rehash of many other comedies it is smart to never dabble on one topic too much and to let the actors roam free and get into their performances. The Man never becomes showy with fancy special effects or tons of big star cameos. Rather, it makes do with what it has.

Sure, there are a lot of visual gags and the infamous "fart jokes" (those don't seem to ever get old for Hollywood), but it's all in good fun and there's enough semi-clever situation humor to keep the entire thing moving. Sometimes it's even evident what is about to happen, but when it does it happens in a way that is just unexpected enough to be humorous in its absurdity. One gag involving the drop off of "some merchandise" at a crowded street corner is a nice play on the clichés of so many other movies very similar to this.

In the end, lives won't be changed because of The Man and it probably won't be as well received or as popular as something like the Wedding Crashers, but funny is funny and for an evening out at the movies a lot worse things could happen. Just look at The Cave.

Critic's Conclusion: It's not the funniest movie of the year but that doesn't mean it isn't funny at all, and what The Man lacks in originality it more than makes up for in charm mixed up with some lively performances. It's better than the TV-spots might lead you to believe, and although it's not a must see there are a million worse ways to spend a few bucks and a couple of hours.

Give them something to work with.

[tyfirewater · 6/10 · 11 September 2005]

Great story.Great action Great acting. The reason I give it a six is because it wasn't THAT funny. It was humorous at best. This i believe is the writers fault. The dialog just wasn't good enough. Eugene had nothing to work with. He still managed to make it work somehow.Remember Splash? Samuel played great his facial expressions were masterful. I have to admit that recently I might have been spoiled by Kiss Kiss Bang Bang which had the most amazing humorous dialog. Another thing that bothered me was that it was so obviously not Detriot. You can get away with making movies in Toronto in a lot of cases. But if you want to make us believe its Detroit then you gotta mess the place up a bit more.

Entertaining light fare

[cpbeau · 7/10 · 23 January 2006]

This was by no means the best film I had ever seen. It wasn't a particularly original premise or story, nor were the jokes and gags that great...and it will by no means end up in the pantheon of the great buddy dramas...

but this movie was entertaining! And isn't that the point? The movie had some language that might offend some, and a lot of the humor was crude. The base of this movie however was Sam Jackson in a familiar "Sam Jackson" character and Eugene Levy in typical Eugene Levy role.

It only lasted 80 minutes or so, and there were not big plot 'twists'. Just a quick story with a few laughs. Not something that I would want to watch over and over, but worth renting or watching on cable.

All the production values of a Saturday afternoon action serial.

[sikboy21 · 3/10 · 14 September 2005]

I can't say the movie was a disappointment because I got what I expected from the trailer. I hoped for Jackson to reprise the Jules character from Pulp Fiction but I knew I wouldn't get him. Instead we get someone almost as angry and a whole lot more impotent: he threw tantrums when it's obvious that his bad-ass character would beat Levy. The chemistry between Jackson and Levy never develops, it's a tired combination of the oblivious and irritating (Levy) teamed up with the dead-serious bad-ass (Jackson). The director doesn't know how to take advantage of the two as his gags are poorly set-up. There's an awful lot of lowest-common-denominator stuff in this movie. Once the movie starts to drone on, out comes the fart jokes. In the end, I amused myself by substituting my own dialogue throughout the movie and looking for references to Toronto. That's another disappointment: the movie is set in Detroit and filmed in Toronto but there was minimal effort to actually make the city FEEL like Detroit. Sure, they digitally removed the CN Tower from the city skyline but the unique Toronto streetcars and streetcar tracks, Petro-Canada gas-stations, Royal York Hotel, bilingual signposts, people walking about and NO garbage or graffiti anywhere prove that it is NOT Detroit. They should have at least avoided the skyline completely since it doesn't match Detroit at all, even with the Skydome and CN Tower removed. There you go: a poor to mediocre effort on all levels.

Funny

[business-30 · 6/10 · 1 March 2006]

I wasn't expecting a lot from this movie other than a laugh, and it succeeded. Yes, there were dump parts to the movie, but I continued to laugh throughout the entire movie.

Samuel Jackson plays his usual tough cop wanting to solve the crime.

Eugene Levy as the salesman is very convincing. Even I wanted to tell him to shut-up! Putting the two together creates a very funny duo all the way to the final moments of the movie.

There is profanity, but Levy gives Samuel Jackson a cute lesson on how to avoid using the "F" bomb. Along with other "life" lessons that Jackson needed to be reminded of.

Two Stars With Potential: Where Did This Go Wrong?

[asam3122 · 5/10 · 12 September 2005]

The plot had some potential. Mistaken identity, guns, Samuel L. Jackson, and then it went wrong...flatulence. You knows it's going to be stupid and somewhat silly.

Eugene Levy plays Andy Fidler, a dental supply salesman, who is mistaken for a guy who wants to buy illegal guns from a heist where Vann's (Samuel L. Jackson) partner was killed.

Then, it turns out that Andy has a somewhat "criminal" past. But Andy seems too oblivious to what's going on. How could he possibly have anything to do with Vann's partner's death? With laughs from mostly bathroom humor, this "comedy" is funny. I was laughing at how stupid it was! Les Mayfield is on a definite losing streak. Eugene and Samuel have talent...why this load of crap?!?!? 5/10

Nothing special, but definitely watchable

[bowmanblue · 7/10 · 11 January 2019]

'Buddy cop' films have been around for as long as I have. Sometimes, they work, other times they don't. In short... simply having two people forced to work together who are basically complete opposites is not a recipe for success. Whether the film succeeds or sinks normally depends on the actors involved. And, I'm pleased to say that with the (perhaps unlikely?) pairing of Samuel L Jackson and Eugene Levy, it really does hit the spot.

Samuel L Jackson plays, well... Samuel L Jackson, while Eugene Levy plays - you guessed it - Eugene Levy. Neither really stray far from performances you've already seen them give numerous times, but - again - it works. Levy is a salesman who gets mixed up with an arms deal while having dinner in a café. Luckily, Jackson is on hand to step in and not just save him, but also sets him up as a supposed 'kingpin' that he can use to bring down one half of eighties supergroup Bros (or Luke Goss to be precise - a bad guys so generic, he'd fit right in to the Marvel Cinematic Universe!).

You may have guessed that a chatty and middleclass salesman is not the ideal person to play a dangerous criminal, but - yet again - it works. Or at least it works in terms of comedy. Yes, in real life Levy may have been gunned down within ten seconds into walking into a room with a load of criminals, but, here, they take him at his word.

There are some other minor subplots running alongside the main story, i.e. a branch of Internal Affairs are looking into Samuel L Jackson and he's also in the process of trying to patch things up with his ex wife and daughter. However, it's the two leads' show all the way. Their chemistry and banter elevates the film and makes it totally enjoyable. The bickering between the two is truly a sheer joy to watch as Levy's dry comebacks slowly wind Jackson up more and more. There's also plenty of swearing and some, moderate violence to go with the laughs, so it's more for an adult audience.

Samuel L Jackson has a wide range of movies under his belt, some big budget, others that feel almost 'straight-to-DVD.' This one sits somewhere between the two and is definitely worth a watch if you're a fan, or just like those kind of crime/comedies with a strong sense of mismatched central characters who have to overcome their personalities in order to reach a greater goal. A tale as old as time, but, if done right - and it is here - it's definitely worth an hour and a half of your time.

'The Man' a limp piñata of clichéd characters, jokes and plots that begs to be hit...

[moviesfan11 · 10 September 2005]

'The Man' a limp piñata of clichéd characters, jokes and plots that begs to be hit...

The miscast Samuel L. Jackson stars as Derrick Vann, a caustic, gung ho Federal Agent who has 24 hours to recover a pile of stolen weapons and find his former partner's killers. This becomes much more challenging when the bad guys mistake salesman Andy Fiddler (Levy, also miscast) for the gun buyer. Now, Vann has to get Andy to pose as the front man in a sting operation.

The only thing that set's 'The Man' apart from any other buddy cop movie is that it wastes the most talent in less time then you can say "He's my bitch." I was planning on seeing "Emily Rose", but it was sold out, so I got stuck with this limp, unnecessary buddy cop "comedy" with not an original idea in it's mess of clichés. Both actors have real talent, but are wasted, trying to do their best with weak material. While the film does have some laughs, it's a lame movie with recycled jokes that doesn't realize it's a lame movie with recycled jokes. That's the real problem here.

Brainless movies are appreciated when they don't take themselves too seriously. 'The Man' can't be classified in this category because It does take itself too seriously, and actually begins to think it's a passable movie. If I wanted to see brainless fun, there are much better options out there. Don't waste $10 on this movie, don't even wait for it on DVD. Avoid.

The Man: D(3 from 10)

Yet another lame PG-13 comedy

[guyfromjerzee · 3/10 · 10 September 2005]

Samuel L. Jackson and Eugene Levy? Sounds like a great team. Can't go wrong. Not! Despite the enormous talents of both actors, they can't do a thing to save this dull, unoriginal buddy cop flick. Many of the gags fall flat and simply go nowhere. For example, in one part Levy is hungry and wants to get something to eat. Jackson suggests they get a burger, but Levy doesn't want to, because red meat doesn't agree with his stomach. The pay-off to the gag? He passes gas in the car. God, it must've taken hours to come up with that punchline! The characters are totally clichéd and one-dimensional. Levy's job is to ramble on about banalities, while Jackson's job is to roll his eyes at him. The film does nothing to distinguish itself amongst the buddy-cop genre. Come on, we went from "48 Hours" to this? Unfortunately, this is Levy's first starring role since he became a household name with his role in the "American Pie" films. Hopefully, he'll stumble upon much better roles than this in the future. His deadpan comic style is hilarious, as we've seen in the "AP" trilogy, but in "The Man" he's forced to be an obnoxious fool. Levy's talent is more in reacting to awkward situations than creating awkward situations. Samuel L. Jackson looks completely embarrassed to be associated with the film. He probably took on this role so he can fulfill his contract of 50 movies a year. Jackson is undoubtedly one of our most talented actors, but at the same time not the most choosy with his roles. Plus, in the movie he's forced to play the usual "angry black guy" character he has played in every other movie. So it really is like watching DeNiro playing a gangster. And to top it all off, Jackson and Levy seem to share no chemistry.

"The Man" is yet another lame PG-13 comedy. You remember the days when producers couldn't give two s**ts about earning the PG-13 rating? You don't even have to go that far back. Look at "My Cousin Vinny." Now, in place of that, we have watered down comedies like the "Legally Blonde" flicks. An "R-rating" probably wouldn't have made "The Man" a much better comedy, but the PG-13 comedy seems to be a epidemic nowadays. I think if producers would have the guts to be more edgy and go against the studio's wishes to submit a film with a PG-13, we'd probably have a lot more funny comedies.

Hm...

[Drake_Clawfang · 7/10 · 3 March 2006]

The Man is one of what I like to call 'MWLP': Movies with little plot. The movie's plot is rather thin: Jackson is a cop whose partner was just killed by a gun-smuggling ring. He sets up a buy with a dealer, but a case of coincidence leads Levy to intercept the goods. Now that the dealers think Levy is the buyer, Jackson has no choice but to work with Levy to bust the ring.

Like I said, the plot if mediocre. But the movie itself is good. Jackson walks the walks, and Levy talks, talks, and talks! The cursing, swearing, tough-as-nails cop paired with a dental supply salesman who really just wants to get the job over with and go on with his life: preferably before Jackson shoots him in the keyster (again!). But in the end, Jackson must swallow his pride as Levy takes matters into his own hands and sets up a trade to get Jackson into the heart of the operation. Not bad for a dental supply salesman!

Over all...if you want an engaging, twisting, turning and suspenseful...look elsewhere. You want laughs, and one of the most outrageous cop pairings since Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan, see this movie.

A painfully unoriginal and astonishingly humorless movie ensues.

[TheMovieMark · 2/10 · 9 September 2005]

I like Samuel L. Jackson. Really, I do. He has enough quality movies under his belt that whenever his name is attached to a film you can at least feel there is a semblance of hope that it'll be entertaining. Then there's "Twisted." And "xXx: State of the Union." And now "The Man," which, to my surprise, is the worst offense of them all.

It was Augustine who defined evil as "the absence of the good." Well, it's Johnny Betts who is defining "The Man" as the absence of the humor. It was troubling when the audience was expected to howl with uproarious laughter over Levy mispronouncing a foreign taxi driver's name as "Bedwetter" (spelled "Bedwettier" and pronounced "Bed-wet-tee-ay"). It was beginning to look hopeless once it was obvious that the director thought Levy's pants falling down was some sort of comedic pantheon. But it started to become downright insulting when Levy informed Jackson that "red meat doesn't agree with me" right before partaking of a "tasty burger," as Jackson called it (in a desperate attempt by the director to show us how clever he is by referencing "Pulp Fiction").

You see, immediately after Levy's pants accidentally fell down and 1/5th of the audience chuckled with glee, I turned to Stephanie and said, "How long before the fart jokes come?" I didn't have to wait long to see my prophecy fulfilled. As soon as Levy announced his red meat warning, I rolled my eyes and replied, "Here we go." And there we went, indeed. Welcome to the sure-fire sign that a writer is desperate to appeal to the lowest common denominator - flatulence. Throw in a joke later about peeing in a pool and the whole trailer park goes home happy. On a positive note - at least I didn't have to worry about tending to any busted guts.

I think it's fair to say you can accurately judge how unfunny a movie is when you're so desperate to awaken your brain that you decide to quantify the laughs that the movie manages to elicit. The ultimate condemnation of "The Man's" humor comes in the fact that my number of laughs equaled zero. You read that right - I managed to keep from laughing a single time during the 83-minute runtime.

Admittedly, there are a couple of funny moments where I reluctantly smiled, and if these scenes had been in another movie then I may have laughed, but by the time these brief respites from the humorless zone arrived I was already so bored into a stupor that I just didn't have it in me to even politely chuckle.

Note to writers: When you have a joke that isn't funny then believe me when I say that using this same joke throughout the movie isn't going to magically make it a laugh riot. A bad joke doesn't automatically become a side-splitter after it's used a certain number of times. I appreciate continuity but not in this case.

Welcome to my "Worst 5" of the year list, "The Man." And welcome to the AFAP (Anything For A Paycheck) Club, Mr. Jackson. I'm sure you and Ben Kingsley will become fast friends.

THE GIST

I'm completely aware that plenty of audience members were laughing during this movie, but "The Man" was possibly the unfunniest theatrically released "comedy" I have seen in at least 10 years. If for some strange reason the trailer looks absolutely hilarious to you then you may enjoy the movie, but I don't dare recommend this to anyone. I wouldn't even waste my time when it is eventually airing on the USA channel 2 times a day.

i liked it

[piecaptain · 9/10 · 10 September 2005]

Everyone in this website thinks this is a bad movie, but i wholeheartedly disagree.(pardon my spelling). Now it's true that buddy cop movies have been copied since 48 hours, but this one uses the formula they all use and cuts out all the cheesy special effects and awkward dialogue that the "bad boys" films had. Also, good movies don't have to be longer than 2 hours to be great ,and at 79 minutes, this film uses it's time wisely. Jackson and Levy are hilariously Miss-matched in two on key performances. So, just give this movie a chance and ignore the clear ripoff, the exorcism of Emily rose. One more thing, Roger Ebert gave this movie 1 and a half stars but he also gave, "the honeymooners" 3. Think about that.

Turned out to be exactly what I wanted it to be!!

[Robert_duder · 7/10 · 15 January 2006]

When I first saw trailers on The Man, I immediately formulated what I wanted this movie to be. Two completely unlikely and opposite men end up having to help each other to thwart the bad guys. One tough guy cop, one loser nobody, and in the end they find a respect for each other. Then the reviews started pouring in and they weren't favorable!! They completely shattered my hopes for what the film could and should be so I waited until DVD release to check this one out and guess what?? The Man is exactly what I wanted and expected from it which is great!!

Samuel L. Jackson is perfect and brilliant as tough, no nonsense, above the rule ATF agent Derrick Vann whose partner (turns out to be a dirty cop) is killed by a Gun Smuggler. Now Vann is suspected of being dirty as well and during a complete case of mistaken identity dental supply salesman Andy Fiddler is brought in to the underground world of illegal gun sales and Vann needs him to catch these guys. Jackson always plays the tough guy role well and he can deliver comedy as well so his role is perfectly cast. Eugene Levy who rocketed to fame during the American Pie craze is usually overused and over-rated (like the horrible New York Minute) and I was very concerned he would be overused in this film but instead he is delightfully annoying as Andy Fiddler. He's the pinnacle lovable loser that made him famous in American Pie. Him and Jackson really do have great comedic timing and chemistry which is absolutely essential for this type of film. I am devastated that this film didn't do better because I would have loved to see a sequel even though it never would have matched this one. This is a one trick pony for sure and it'll be a gem to some and horrible to others. Luke Goss is okay as the bad guy, gun smuggler but nothing entirely outstanding. Anthony Mackie has some genuinely funny moments as Jackson's informant Booty. The whole film really does revolve around Levy and Jackson's characters and interactions and it's just fun to watch. It's just plain and silly fun and worth seeing because it will make you laugh.

I was disheartened at the ridiculous STUPID, UNNECESSARY addition of a FART GAG to an otherwise well-written comedy. For the most part the comedy is not cheap, or dirty (Levy's lecture to Jackson on the "F" word is classic) and then they add in Levy's bad gas problem to cheapen the whole film and honestly drop this comedy an entire point in my books but it's done and said and they redeem themselves with other clever banter between them and a decent if not predictable storyline. Director Les Mayfield is a pro and has worked on some great projects and this might not be one of his best but it'll do well on DVD and you should check it out for a chuckle. It's not bad at all!! 7/10

Man! What a waste!

[BrigitteD · 3/10 · 24 September 2005]

We've seen it many times before. From "Miami Vice" to "Lethal Weapon", and furthermore in "Rush Hour", the cultural and personality clash of mismatched allies unwittingly working together has long become an established formula.

The newest unlikely pairing comes in the guise of Eugene Levy and Samuel L. Jackson, two individuals who stand at the furthest polar opposites from each other, both relying on their stereotypical persona of the tough guy and the bumbling nerd to illustrate this contrast.

A routine business trip from Wisconsin to Detroit turns into an unexpected case of mistaken identity for Andy Fiddler (Levy), a dental supply salesman, while heading to a convention.

Upon his arrival, he coincidentally crosses paths with Derrick Vann (Jackson), a federal agent who just happens to be dealing with the death of his partner and a stash of stolen firearms. From then on, Derrick uses Andy in his scheme to recover the weapons and expose the leader of the operation (Luke Goss). Andy, who is believed to be a participant in the whole criminal dealings, has no other choice but to cooperate with Derrick and solve the case in time to make it to his convention the next morning.

"The Man" employs the usual rules of buddy movies, as we see the two leads initially teaming up with reluctance only to inevitably become accustomed to each other in the end. Both discover that they can learn from one another, with Andy teaching Derrick to be more trusting and more appreciative of family values, while Derrick teaches Andy to be more assertive.

Levy and Jackson's combination is effective to a certain degree, due in great part to the clear distinction between positivity and negativity which emanate from both characters, the two elements nonetheless blending together to create highly compatible opposites.

Unfortunately, this exuded chemistry cannot sustain the rest of the material which all too often resorts to extensive flatulence sequences, resulting in two heavyweight actors floating on nothing more than hot air in a film that practically has no other substance and that lingers unpleasantly, long after it has passed.

Worth Renting

[no_spm_brazil · 28 February 2006]

Good ole Eugene Levy has been around for a long time, but I don't recall him ever playing a lead character (at least from what I've seen -he's been in over 80 movies). That's is too bad, because I think he made what could have otherwise been a dud work. Jackson's character was a little too "Pulp Fiction" or "hardcore" for this type of comedy, and the story itself was mediocre (read: "cookie cutter), but I thought Levy was hilarious, and I found myself laughing out loud more than once. Okay, the farting jokes were a little trite, but this is slapstick comedy. Nothing too deep, but very funny, and a decent ending. If you like Abbot and Costello, you'll probably like this. Definitely worth the price of a rental.

The Man has it's moments, but overall fails to deliver

[Smells_Like_Cheese · 5/10 · 22 June 2007]

I don't know why, but something just made me wanna pick up the movie The Man. Samuel L. Jackson and Eugene Levy, why not? I have never seen Samuel in a comedy, so I thought this would be interesting and it seemed like a movie with a guaranteed laugh. While I did have moments where I laughed, like the scene where Andy tells the bad guys who Derrick is, that he's his, well, you'll have to see, I don't know if I can write it on IMDb. The story was good and the actors were fine, I'm not sure why, but the movie just didn't work or click like I thought it would.

Andy is a dentist who is about to go make huge speeches around the country, coincidentally he is in the place of where a cop, Derrick, is going under cover to buy weapons from a gang. Andy is mistaken for Derrick and now has become part of the case pretending that he's interested in this stuff. But it may not happen since he's driving Derrick insane with his pure and wholesome image.

The Man has a few good laughs that I'm sure you'll get, but I do warn you that the movie doesn't provide a full out comedy that you'll die laughing from. Eugene held his own, but Samuel in my opinion at least really cannot hold a comedy very well. He was meant to play like a serious but lovable tough guy cop, but it didn't work. So I'll leave this one up to you, if you wanna check it out, go ahead, because it's one of those films you'll have to see for yourself.

5/10

Very funny

[aharmas · 7/10 · 18 September 2005]

Here comes a film, modeled after the incompatible relationship of "Midnight Run", but this one is actually funnier. What was unbearable and annoying in the other one, is hilarious here. Eugene Levy's non-stop talker drives a special agent insane with his constant reference to the goodness in people. It is refreshing how resilient his character is, managing to surprise us as the story moves on. In the end, we learn to understand his line about not ever meeting anyone who didn't become his friend. This character walks a thin line between annoying and endearing. You decide in the end.

It's a comedy of misunderstandings, with no unnecessary violent scenes or reckless car scenes full of wasteful special effects. The film works with the personalities of the main characters and the tribulations they encounter. It's got its heart in the right place and never pretends to be anything else but an amusing story between two very different people.

Oh dear oh dear oh dear

[pandabat · 2/10 · 15 September 2005]

Two men of the screen such as Levy and Jackson should have not found themselves appearing in this trough bucket. The mind boggles as to how they ended up here. Indeed, the mind boggles at how someone would even finance something as below par as this. It really reminded me of something that would appear on VHS only in the 80's. That's how bad this was. The jokes were not funny. The plot was as deep and intricate as a page of printer paper. The acting was pretty terrible too. Levy was doing his "American Pie"-father character and Jackson's reduced to casting various disparaging looks at the scenery. I really, really, really hope that no one out there is thinking of making a sequel.

A Nice Laugh

[damianphelps · 7/10 · 1 January 2022]

The Man drink heavily from the well of cliches but manages to swallow every drop, Its totally predictable.

What makes the movie work? The charisma of the two leads and some genuinely funny moments.

I usually find it hard to watch comedies as so many of them disappoint but The Man didn't let me down :)

Tired retread of the buddy flick

[george.schmidt · 1/10 · 12 September 2005]

THE MAN (2005) * Samuel L. Jackson, Eugene Levy, Luke Goss, Miguel Ferrer, Susie Essman, Anthony Mackie, Horatio Sanz. (Dir: Les Mayfield)

Tired retread of the 'buddy' flick

Why is the 'buddy' film such a tired vehicle? You'd think mixing a comic actor with a dramatic one would be a proved formula since it worked for Eddie Murphy and Nick Nolte in "48 HRS" which pretty much launched the subgenre of cops and comedy 20 odd years ago. Well it certainly hasn't aged well and the latest venture of comic and dramatic actors joined at the hip with bullets flying may well signal the death knell for it.

The plot has hapless nice guy schmuck dental equipment salesman Andy Fidler (Levy in his trademark character form) is in Detroit for a convention but winds up gumming up the works inadvertently for a sting operation by undercover ATF Special Agent Derrick Vann (perpetually glowering Jackson) when Fidler unwittingly walks into a diner and sits where Vann is supposed to be for a very important meet with an arms dealer who assumes Fidler is 'the man'.

When Vann abducts the shocked Fidler and ingratiating him into the operation at hand well insert the laughter here folks because this is when and why it is supposed to be funny: a fish-out-of-water white tight-ass with an angry black street-smart cop team up to get the bad guy. Are you laughing yet?

The plotting is so tedious and by-the-numbers you beg for the 'hilarity to ensue' already. The script by Jim Piddock (Levy's co-star in several of the Christopher Guest mockumentaries of late) and Margaret Oberman and Stephen Carpenter feels like it is a textbook playbook and Mayfield's debut as a director is skeptical at best.

The chemistry between the two seems natural yet in reality very forced. Fart humor and calling each other a bitch is the high point in this low-concept comedy of errors. Make a citizen's arrest and don't bother seeing this film anytime soon.

This should not work... but it does, it really does

[diogomanuel · 7/10 · 2 August 2023]

I came across this movie and I did the right thing, I came here and read some reviews. The one that helped me the most and the one basically saying - go right ahead and watch it! And so here I am, purposely repeating the same line - you should watch it.

The main characters are great and even though the humorous moments are goofy, they do make you crack a smile and even laugh with gusto! It is not be the best movie I have ever seen, not even the best comedy but it certainly was some time well spent! I could even see Samuel Jackson having fun! How often can you say that about a movie where he is in?! Have fun watching this.

Crummy B-pic with comedy that sometimes works.

[FeverDog · 4/10 · 7 September 2005]

Not much to say about THE MAN (well, not much positive), but there's a really odd, homo-erotic moment when the bad guy offers Levy to check him for a body mic. When the villain makes Levy pat down his crotch he (the villain) gets this proud, pleased look on his face, like "Yeah, I'm packing a big somethin' somethin' down there, ain't I?" (There are a few other, smaller h.e. moments too, like when Levy checks out Jackson's back tattoo, and is there some sort of subtext with all the talk about being shot in the butt?)

The movie itself is poorly directed, blandly photographed, and the illegal-gun-running plot would be confusing if either the audience or the writer cared. And Sam Jackson's I.A. agent character was really unpleasant some of the time. Are we supposed to like him, or at least think he's a good cop? I dunno. It's not funny to see him repeatedly beat on the informant with garbage can lids and phone books and hit him with his car again and again, or the way he treats the local cops when they pull him over.

Some big, isolated laughs (highlight: Levy's "He's my bitch" bit), but it's less of a movie than an experiment to see how Jackson and Levy play off each other. Levy gets most of the laughs (is it an inside joke or typecasting that he's in the dental field again after WAITING FOR GUFFMAN?), but they ain't no Riggs and Murtaugh.

Oh, and would you believe the movie contains the most played-out scene in action movies: the one wherein the cop's superior demands his gun and badge. Can this please be retired, please? Since the movie looks really cheap I assume the producers got a bargain deal for it--and others--at the Movie Cliché Store. (Like, has anyone ever had their vehicle commandeered by a cop? According to cop movies, it happens all the time.)

Extremely Funny!!!

[Pumpkin_Man · 10/10 · 16 August 2009]

This movie is extremely hilarious! Eugene Levy and Samuel L. Jackson were awesome together! A dentist named Andy Fiddler is getting ready to go to Detroit to give a speech about dental tools. While in Detroit, he just happens to be at the wrong place at the wrong time, and some gun-dealers think he is a buyer. Agent Vann thinks Andy is robbing the store, because one of the bad guys gives Andy a gun. Throughout the film, Andy is annoying to Vann, who has no time for nonsense. Vann needs Andy to pretend he's wants to buy stolen guns in order to bring the bad guys down. Vann eventually begins to like Andy. If you love comedy, you'll love THE MAN!!!

A Royale with cheese, with some American Pie for dessert, just needs to be cooked a little longer.

[feyipuk · 7/10 · 26 September 2018]

Ten years before this film was released, Samuel L Jackson was running round New York after being forced to help Bruce Willis in the third Die Hard film following him being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Now he's the renegade cop (ATF agent) out to bring justice after the death of his partner, while being suspected of being part of what happened. However, while in 1995 he was the angry accomplice to an equally angry badge holder, here he's forced to work with Eugene Levy - probably best known as Jims dad in the American Pie films - and he basically plays the same role; a family man living in middle America, this time working as a dental salesman, who's more used to fitting in with the rules than acting against them. He's almost too nice for a guy caught up in something were people have died. Samuel L is his usual cool self, especially how he deals with other officers, and his car isn't the standard issue Crown Victoria. As usual, he's extremely watchable. It's just how the polite Levy gets caught up in the middle of it and he behaves in the midst of all this action that gets a little grating. I mean, fart jokes? Samuel L Jackson may have bad things to the inside of Meat Loaf in the 51st State, but who wants to see Jules Winnfield gagging if Vincent Vega ate a Royale (without cheese)? Luke Goss makes a decent adversary for what is a buddy film between Jackson and Levy learning how to act more like the other; he's basically a business man with a gun. Miguel Ferrer, as IA Agent Peters, makes for more of an interesting "bad guy", with his single minded mission.

It's a good film. A bit washy in places and formulaic to get cheap laughs, but it gets the job done.

Give it a miss

[jackmisc · 3/10 · 10 September 2005]

You know it is bad when the best jokes are about flatulence. If you are over 25, you'll wish you saw something else. Talented actors with only glimmers of humorous opportunities. Poor execution of a bad formulaic script. There are worse movies, my wife tells me Ishtar is a "1" so this can only sink to a "3."

The other issue is that SLJ's character is played harsh and abusive in an unsuccessful attempt to be funny. This acted as a buzz kill to whatever humorous momentum Eugene Levy managed to achieve with his character.

The bad guy was convincingly menacing, but did not setup any funny exchanges.

After this, I have decided to check this site before purchasing a ticket to any more cop buddy movies.