| | | One Guy Walks the Walk. The Other Talks and Talks.
Features: DVD, Widescreen, Aspect Ratio 1.85:1, Dolby Digital (5.1), Dolby Surround Sound, Deleted Scenes, Featurettes, Bloopers, English, Spanish, Subtitled
When a Federal Agent "on the take" in a multi-million dollar arms heist turns up dead on the mean streets of Detroit, all eyes turn toward his partner, Derrick Vann (Samuel Jackson), a hardcore undercover Fed known for his untrusting, street-wise style. Vann's given 24 hours to recover the stolen arms and find the cop killers, but he's about to stumble upon an unlikely ally: Andy Fiddler (Eugene Levy), an affable, optimistic dental supply salesman in town for a two-day convention. When the bad guys mistake Andy to be the buyer in a stolen arms deal, Vann is forced to utilize the talkative salesman as "the face" of his sting operation. With the clock ticking, this unlikely duo speeds through the streets of Detroit in an intense and hilarious adventure that uncovers much more than they could have ever anticipated.
"Jackson is in his savvy, suspicious street-dude mode from such pictures as "Shaft" or "S.W.A.T." And Levy is ... well, Levy..." Kirk Honeycutt, Hollywood Reporter
"Jackson used to be the one who could be relied on to steal scenes...Levy has taken that job over with deadpan assuredness." Robert Koehler, Variety
"Very funny stuff!" Neil Rosen, NY1 News
"Uproariously funny!" John Hayes, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Editor's Note
Mismatching the two principal characters in a movie has become a comedy staple in Hollywood, and the tradition continues in director Les Mayfield's THE MAN. Andy Fidler (Eugene Levy) has a cheery outlook on life. Even a less than exciting job selling dental products can't wipe the smile from his face. But when he winds up in Detroit for a dental convention and is wrongly identified as an arms dealer, his smile is in danger of disappearing for good. Tough-as-nails cop Derrick Vann (Samuel L. Jackson) has set up an operation to catch the gang who run with the villain Fidler has been mistaken for. Eager to find him after the group of gun runners put a permanent end to his partner's career, Vann concocts a screwball scheme in which Fidler will impersonate the crook he resembles, while also trying to shake the Internal Affairs agents who are closely trailing him. Sam Jackson steals THE MAN from under Levy's nose, with some impressive, snappy dialogue reminiscent of his role as Jules Winnfield in PULP FICTION. Driven to the brink of insanity by the inane banter spewing from Levy's mouth, and a flatulence problem at the other end, Jackson fits into the role like a true pro. The film benefits from an elementary plot that simply allows the laughs to come thick and fast, and evolves only to allow Jackson to display further exasperation at his oblivious partner's behavior. A cut above the gross-out comedies it will undoubtedly be compared to, THE MAN is a deliciously silly film that benefits from some strong performances.
| Features | "Making An Action Scene" Featurette | | "Sam Jackson's Guide To Cursing Like A Bad A&% Motha F$#@*" Featurette | | "The Ride: A Look At The '83 Cadillac" Featurette | | "Who's The Man?" Featurette | | Deleted Scenes | | Gag Reels | | Interactive Menus | | Scene Selection | | Subtitles: English, Spanish | | Theatrical Trailer | | Audio: English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound, DTS 5.1, Stereo Surround Sound |
| Technical Info
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Release Information
| | Studio: New Line |
| Release Date: 12/9/2008 |
| Running Time: 83 minutes |
| Original Release Date: 2005 | | Catalog ID: 10090 | | UPC: 00794043100901 | | Number of Discs: 1 |
Audio & Video
| | Original Language: English | | Available Audio Tracks: English [CC], English | | Available Subtitles: English, Spanish | | Video: Color |
Aspect Ratio | | Widescreen 1.85:1 |
| Cast & Crew
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| | Professional Reviews | James Berardinelli's ReelViews 7 of 10
Jackson and Levy play exaggerations of their most commonly recognized screen personas. As dental supply man Andy Fidler, Levy is an uptight, anal motormouth. As Special Agent Derrick Vann, Jackson combines Shaft with Pulp Fiction's Jules, and cranks the volume up to "11." These two play off of each other so marvelously that one wonders why no one considered pairing them up before now. When The Man isn't concerned with moving forward its hackneyed plot, and concentrates instead on developing the relationship between Andy and Derrick, it works - sometimes hilariously. - James Berardinelli
Chicago Sun-Times 7 of 10
Levy has funny moments as the fussy dental supplies fetishist, but never goes into full obnoxious mode as Joe Pesci did in "Lethal Weapon 2." He plays the character like a conventioneer trying to be nice to an alarming taxi driver. Jackson plays the cop like a man who has found a bug in the front seat of his car. What's interesting, however, is that they don't get locked into a lot of black-white shtick; their differences are defined through occupation, not race, except for the odd ethnic in-joke involving hot sauce. - Roger Ebert
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