Detective Por Error

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.

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' 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)

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.

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 :)