Common Sense Media Review
By Jeffrey M. Anderson
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Stale Hart/Harrelson action/buddy comedy; violence, cursing.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 14+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
The Man from Toronto
What's the Story?
In THE MAN FROM TORONTO, Teddy (Kevin Hart) is an entrepreneur who's trying to market a string of ridiculous workout equipment and methods. He's so unsuccessful that his name has become a verb, as in "You sure Teddied that." For his wife Lori's (Jasmine Mathews) birthday, he books a romantic getaway. Unfortunately, his low-toner printout makes the address unreadable, so he takes a guess. Arriving at the wrong cabin, he's mistaken for The Man from Toronto, a deadly assassin who can extract any information from anyone. Teddy blunders his way through the situation but finds himself stuck in even direr straits, which requires him to keep up the ruse for a while longer. Then, the real Man from Toronto (Woody Harrelson) shows up and is forced to work with the imposter in order to save them both.
Is It Any Good?
There are hundreds of mismatched-buddy comedies, and this minor variation on the formula brings nothing fresh to the genre. It's stale, annoyingly busy, and altogether unfunny. In The Man from Toronto, Hart plays his usual character, the same one he's played in a handful of blandly similar movies (Ride Along, Get Hard, Central Intelligence, etc.) -- a yappy fast-talker with more ego than ability. The opening moments, with Teddy demonstrating his useless workout equipment, then taking a beating from it as it fails, is already exhausting. Harrelson doesn't fare much better; he's played this kind of stoic tough guy before, too (most memorably -- and more hilariously -- in Zombieland).
Neither actor seems particularly challenged here, and there's a lot of going through the motions. Perhaps worse than the movie's lack of humor is the fact that it seems intent on diving into its needlessly complex plot, which involves enemy agents, a severed thumb, trips to Puerto Rico and Miami, the presidency of Venezuela, and a whole bunch of choppy, shaky action cinematography. It's impossible to care about any of this stuff. The only reason to see The Man from Toronto would be to laugh and find an emotional connection between the two leads as their aggravation inevitably turns to friendship. But either the movie doesn't realize this simple idea, or it doesn't care.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about The Man from Toronto's violence. How did it make you feel? Was it exciting? Shocking? What did the movie show or not show to achieve this effect? Why is that important?
Did you notice any positive representation in the movie? Are any of the characters role models?
Do Teddy and the Man from Toronto help each other become better people? Why, or why not?
Why does Teddy lie to Lori about failing to make a sale? Was it the right thing to do? Why, or why not?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : June 13, 2023
- Cast : Kevin Hart , Woody Harrelson , Jasmine Mathews
- Director : Patrick Hughes
- Inclusion Information : Black Movie Actor(s)
- Studios : Sony Pictures , Netflix
- Genre : Comedy
- Run time : 112 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : violence throughout, some strong language and suggestive material
- Last updated : June 13, 2023
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