Directed by:
Les Mayfield
Starring:
Samuel L. Jackson ………. Derrick Vann
Eugene Levy ………. Andy Fiddler
Luke Goss ………. Joey/Kane
Miguel Ferrer ………. Agent Peters
Susie Essman ………. Lt. Rita Carbone
Anthony Mackie ………. Booty
Gigi Rice ………. Susan
Rachael Crawford ………. Dara Vann
The Movie
A buddy cop film is suppose to be funny smart semi serious and just plain enjoyable as a form of escapism. The Man doesn’t hit a single one of those marks, instead seems to coast by on the star power it has and thinks that as long as recognizable faces are in the movie they don’t need anything else. Wrong. These things generally go by having two polar opposite characters wind up together for the sake of a mission and over the coarse of the picture provide some funny one liners, some endearing partnership bond and at the end come together and work as a team for the better good. The Man instead relies on Sam Jackson acting like a badass and Levy as a motor mouth for 80 minutes and not much else.
ATF Agent Derrick Vann is a rough and tough undercover cop who always gets his perp (are there every any other kind?). The movie starts out with him discovering that his long time partner was the corrupt and helped some gun smugglers steal guns from the vault in the precinct. When he was suppose to meet up with a gun runner named Joey trying to unload the very guns stolen from the ATF Joey accidentally mixes up Vann with Andy Fidler a dental supply salesman who’s in town for a convention to give a speech. With Andy tied up in things Vann has no choice but to take Andy and use him until the job is done and the bad guys are in jail. What follows is your predictable format for the buddy cop films.
Needless family subplots that go nowhere whatsoever take up precious time that film just doesn’t have to spare. One involves Van showing him as an obsessed workaholic who chooses work over his family. While the other has Andy talking on the phone with his wife and kids showing how caring he is. While these are here to try and add depth to the paper thin characters all they come off as are the writers trying really hard to send the message home that the two characters are akin to oil and water.
Jackson seems to be reading his lines off of cue cards behind the camera. His acting in the movie is equivalent to that of an SNL sketch. The only time he seems to be acting is when he gives Levy cold dead stares. It’s basically watching Jackson sleep walk through the movie. Levy is usually a barrel of laughs if given the right material and the past few years he’s made a real name for himself. Here it just seems like he’s the only one making an effort. It’s hard for Levy to carry a film when not one other person on the project even cares.
Jackson and Levy hugely raise the film to bearable levels from time to time and if either role was cast differently it would have made the movie even more unbearable than it already is. Why these two genuinely funny and serious actors would stoop this low just to get a check is beyond me as they’ve really taken a step back here. For a movie with so many high profile actors you’d think that the number of low brow jokes in the movie would even make them scoff at how unfunny it is. Yet the film seems to rely heavily on such unfunny easy joke getting material that it never even attempts to rise above mediocre and seems to accept it’s unoriginality.
When released during the summer the ad campaign for The Man revolved heavily around its star power in Samuel L. Jackson and Eugene Levy and how they were the perfect mismatch couple. And they’re right on that part, too bad it’s all the movie does effectively. As everything else wasn’t mentioned in the trailers for a reason, nothing interesting happens. There’s no script, no connecting to the characters, no memorable moments, when the credits roll you’ll wish you spent the time you invested in watching the movie wiser.
score: 3.5/10
The Video
(Presented in 1.85:1 Anamorphic Widescreen)
The Man looks very sharp which is to be expected from such a new release, blacks stay solid, flesh tones are perfect and very little edge enhancment. A stand up job by New Line here.
The Audio
(English Dolby Digital 5.1, DTS 5.1 and 2.0)
With three audio tracks I figured something must differentiate one from the other but they all sound pretty much the same. The difference between the standard 5.1 and DTS is almost nonexistent as the rear speakers aren’t used in any way that makes them noticeable.
The Extras
Bloopers and Outtakes (2:04) – Here’s exactly what you would expect, the cast (mostly Levy) flubbing lines and making each other laugh.
Deleted/Alternate Scenes (6:15) – Five scenes are included and four are just scenes already in the movie with one or two new lines that were cut in the final version of the film. The only other alternate scene involves Andy dropping the money off in the trash can which is no where near as funny as the take used in the movie.
Sam Jackson’s Guide to Cursing Like a Bad A&% Mothaf&#@* (3:48) – Cast and crew talk about what it was like needing to curb the language used by Sam’s character due to the films PG-13 rating.
Who’s the Man? (11:55) – This is your generic “making-of” piece added to the disc that is EPK material making the film and its production seem like the greatest thing on earth. Everyone praises their characters and co-workers and talk about how great the movie and its stars and director are. If you hated the movie nothing here will make you reconsider how bad it was.
Making the Action Scene (5:38) – Kaz Kobielski of the effects team shows us how they make and set off squibs for shoot outs. This is an interesting feature added to the DVD as not many behind the scenes featurettes show this side of special effects, usually they’ll show miniatures or big explosions. The piece focuses on the big shoot out at the end of the film.
The Ride: A Look at the ’83 Cadillac (5:45) – Originally a ’69 Oldsmobile Cutlass was planned for the movie until Sam gave the suggestion of the Cadillac Deville. They bought five duplicate cars for all the stunts and setups needed for the movie. Hydraulics for the car are talked about most even though they’re only used in the movie itself for a few short scenes. This is a fluff piece just like the rest of the disc.
A Theatrical Trailer for The Man and Sneak Peeks (a.k.a. more trailers) for Final Destination 3, Take the Lead, King’s Ransom and 50 Cent: Refuse to Die round out the disc.
score: 5/10
