The Man
New Line Home Entertainment
Cast: Samuel L. Jackson, Eugene Levy, Luke Goss, Miguel Ferrer
Extras: Deleted Scenes, Bloopers, Featurettes, Theatrical Trailer
Rating:
Last night I simply wanted to view something light-hearted and funny, and "the Man" fell into my hands. Starring Samuel L. Jackson and Eugene Levy, the film had credentials and I decided to give it a spin. What followed was a great spoof on hard-ass cop and circumstantial buddy movie.
When tough FBI agent Vann (Samuel L. Jackson) is trying to set up a huge arms deal in order to find the killers of his partner, dental supply salesman Andy Fiddler (Eugene Levy) is accidentally ending up in the middle and is mistaken by the arms dealers for the buyer. Vann has no choice than to work with the constantly-babbling toothologist to make sure the deal goes through. But Fiddler is just like nothing Vann has encountered before. He never stops talking, he constantly gets in the way or tries to escape Vann's iron you're-my-puppet-and-I-play-the-strings grip, constantly jeopardizing the deal.
With two experienced actors like Levy and Jackson running the show, "The Man" turns out to be a highly entertaining and funny little movie. While it is formulaic and contains moments we've seen in many other movies before, the film also offers a few new memorably moments and will undoubtedly make you laugh.
New Line has prepared a great-looking transfer for this movie that is free of any blemishes or defects. Colors are saturated and solid, without bleeding and with strong hues. Flesh tones are faithfully rendered, giving the image a natural look throughout. With its solid black levels the image is firmly rooted and offers up great visual depth. No edge-enhancement or compression artifacts distract from the viewing experience.
The audio on the release comes as a balanced 5.1 channel mix which makes good use of the surround channels. Especially during the explosive moments of the movie you will find yourself surrounded by sound effects and ambient noises. Dialogues are always understandable and never drowned out.
As extras the DVD also contains 5 deleted and alternate scenes as well as a blooper and outtake reel.
Four featurettes are also included on the release for your entertainment. "Sam Jackson's Guide To Cursing Like A Bad-A&% Mothaf&#@*" is a look at Sam's character and his ability to turn every line into a swearing insult to the people around him. "Who's The Man" is your typical promo featurette with everyone padding each other on the back.
The 6-minute featurette "Making Of an Action Scene" is much more interesting by comparison as it dissects the movie's central shoot-out and let's viewers see how it was put together and staged.
"The Ride: A Look At The '83 Cadillac" is also an interesting look at the souped up ride that agent Vann is using in the film. The release is rounded out by the movie's theatrical trailer.
It is very easy to buy into Jackson's tough-cop portrayal and Levy's hapless, incessant talking mode, as both parts are what these actors do best and are famous for. Throwing them together makes for a funny movie and some hilarious moments. Check it out some time.
