THE MAN FROM TORONTO

 

Jeri Jacquin

Currently streaming on Netflix from director Patrick Hughes, Bron and Sony Pictures brings the craziness belonging to THE MAN FROM TORONTO.

Freddie Jackson (Kevin Hart) is a go getter with attempting to sell the world on his exercise equipment on the internet. His ideas are not getting anywhere which worries Freddie who is trying to pamper his wife Lori (Jasmine Matthews) for her birthday by renting a cabin for the weekend.

Dropping her off at the spa, Freddie drives to the cabin to get it set up for their romantic time. When he gets there, Freddie is met by some very dangerous people wanting him to do something despicable! Being called ‘The Man from Toronto’, he is told by Agent Lawrence (Kate Drummond) who stopped the hit that they need his help.

Wanting him to continue to be ‘The Man from Toronto’, they agents tell Freddie everything he needs to know and offer him incentives. Agent Santoro (Jencarlos Canela) is sent to allow Lori a day of shopping to meet Freddie later in the evening. The problem is, someone else is watching what Freddie has been up to.

The Man from Toronto (Woody Harrelson), the real one, is hot on Freddie’s trail. So close in fact that meeting up with other bad guys looks easy. Freddie is now heading to Puerto Rico and the agents have lost him! On the plane, the two men from Toronto come face to face and the Handler (Ellen Barkin) is not happy and brings in reinforcements with The Man from Miami (Pierson Fode).

The Man from Toronto, Randy, sees no other choice but to team up with Freddie and the results are stomach churning. All of this is about a weapon that needs a certain man’s voice and a thumbprint. The killer knows that he has to continue the ruse with Freddie because everyone has now seen a photo of him.

But Freddie has to get back to Lori and Randy goes along only to meet Anne (Kaley Cuoco) who gets the uptight killer to loosen up a bit. Things start to go well until The Man from Miami shows up wreaking a lot of havoc and the agents reconnect and see Freddie with Randy. Agent Davis (Ronnie Rowe) tries to get to them.

The Man from Miami has what he needs to meet with Colonel Marin (Alejandro De Hoyos) and the Handler shows up with the cash Randy wants. As all the bad guys gather together to hear the speech by the new president of Venezuela, the weapon everybody but Freddie wants is in bad hands. Worst of all, Lori has made it clear she does not know her husband anymore.

The new problem is that the Handler does not like what is happening and decides that the only thing left to do it call in all ‘The Man From…’ to send Randy and Freddie on the run!

Hart as Freddie is doing what he does best, crack jokes, be self-deprecating and makes it clear that his character is a jumpy as a cat on a hot tin roof. Hart has wracked up quite a few buddy films and now, opposite Harrelson, he can be sure that anyone else that wants to line up for their shot at another buddy film is going up against a pro. Even his action sequences are hilarious!

Harrelson as Randy ‘The Man from Toronto’ gets to play the straight guy who has a few sensitive issues. He does not min a good fight but put him on the dance floor and he gets a bit jittery and sensitive. He is the straight man and anchor to Freddie’s constant chaos. I enjoy his performance and I think it made me laugh a bit more than Freddie.

Barkin as the Handler is a woman on a mission. Her job is calling ‘The Man from…’ to do jobs that pay a lot. When Randy and Freddie screw up her plans, she is not about to forgive or forget. Nicely done!

Other cast includes Lela Loren as Daniela Marin, Rob Archer as Oscar, Patrick Garrow as Brennan, Martin Roach as Marty, Jason MacDonald as Coughlin, Kyle Gatehouse as Todd, and Alejandro Ampudia as Green Guy.

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THE MAN FROM TORONTO is a buddy action comedy that does not waste any time getting the action started. Hart is go, go, go and even until the end, he is still going. He is the energizer bunny of action stars. As Freddie, he openly admits he is more afraid of wife Lori than anything Randy can bring to his life.

Harrelson is the anchor to the madness as he keeps his calm when Hart’s character loses his wits. What I loved about this character the most is that what we think we know about him is not what is true. That being said, watching these two actors together is a comedy that will definetly entertain and having a big screen television will make it even more entertaining!

In the end – hitman meets deadman!