THE MAN FROM TORONTO

Did you ever see the 2016 action comedy film Central Intelligence? Yes? Well how much you enjoy The Man From Toronto will, I imagine, mirror exactly how much you enjoyed Central Intelligence.

Kevin Hart once again plays an under achieving, average Joe who gets pulled into an adventure that he is ill equipped to handle.

Hart brings his trademark manic energy to the role, and again your tolerance for it will depend on your tolerance for Hart himself. As someone who quite enjoys his schtick I enjoyed him here - hearing him riff on the phrase “Dog Eat Dog” was inexplicably funny - but I’m aware that he is not for everyone.

Much of the comedy in The Man From Toronto comes from Harts fish out of water routine. Not every joke hits the mark, but they are delivered with enough regularity to ensure that it doesn’t become too much of an issue

Playing opposite Hart is Woody Harrelson, playing the titular Man From Toronto. He is the complete antithesis Hart. Where Hart is manic, Harrelson exudes a steely calm. It is a well worn Buddy-Comedy trope which, despite not offering anything new, manages to get by on the chemistry between its two leads.

And this chemistry is just as well because the plot - what there is of it - is barely worth mentioning. It feel almost as if the premise and jokes came first, and then the scriptwriters had to try and stuff little bits of story into the gaps. It is predictable and lazy, and when stretched over a nearly two hour long film, you do start to feel every second.

The fact that this review is so short is an indictment of the story all on its own. There simply isn’t that much to talk about.

When me and my friend were looking for something to watch, we wanted a bit of trash. And that is certainly what we got with The Man From Toronto. It isn’t high art, its been done better countless times elsewhere, but if you’re after a bit of dumb, inconsequential fluff, The Man From Toronto may be exactly what you’re looking for.