The Man From Toronto on Netflix needs more Kaley Cuoco
Despite all efforts from its co-stars, the undeniably funny Kevin Hart and oddball talent Woody Harrelson, The Man from Toronto, out now on Netflix, is a really bad movie. Not so bad it's good but just bad, with jokes that fall flat, a wildly implausible set-up and so little faith in its audience's – and characters' – intelligence it actually feels insulting.
The premise, a mistaken-identity comedy mixed with an action caper, could have worked, especially with these two actors, but a dumb script can't be elevated by Harrelson and Hart's odd-couple partnership. When Teddy Jackson (Hart) a dim-witted entrepreneur with an inexplicably patient wife Lori (Jasmine Mathews), is mistaken for a grizzled hitman, he and said hitman known only as The Man from Toronto (Harrelson) must work together to make it out alive. And, if they're lucky, a bit richer.
The fundamental problem starts with, well, the start. The whole reason Teddy ends up in the wrong place at the wrong time is that his home printer is out of toner, and when he prints the cabin information for his getaway with his wife, he can't read the address right.
Except we all know that no one prints things out any more. He would have booked the cabin on his phone or computer, which we know he has because he films really cringe-worthy athletics videos for YouTube, so why wouldn't he just paste the address into his smartphone GPS? It is such an egregiously anachronistic set-up that it can't be ignored.
What should be a saving grace of the film is the action, and while it isn't necessarily the worst action choreography we've seen, there's nothing new or innovative to commend. It's more of the same and it's hard not to become weary of uninteresting gunfights in movies when there's so much more visually engaging action to be done.
If you make it to the last twenty minutes, you'll get the pay-off of a more interesting action scene in the gym, but we'd be surprised if many people stick it through to that point. Even this one goes on far too long, making an already long film feel longer.
Kaley Cuoco steals a couple of scenes. She's the only person in the movie who seems to be having fun in any kind of organically engaged way. The movie feels like it should have had more of her for the genuine levity she offers as a balance to the 'stupid' comedy foisted upon Hart and Harrelson.
The pivotal moments are rote and, in fact, are almost note-for-note rip-offs of other action films (most notably, John Wick). While this isn't unexpected, there aren't enough original beats or moments throughout to forgive the ones that feel like we've seen them before.
There are some funny lines. "I boiled a goddamn white woman because of you!" makes you chuckle, but the gag goes on for three more lines, effectively killing the one spot of humour in the scene. This need to beat every moment (whether action, humour, or heart) into a pulp makes The Man From Toronto an unwatchable mess.
The Man From Toronto is out now on Netflix
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