Netflix & Chill: See “The Man from Toronto” for hilarious, fun weekend

The Man from Toronto movie review

The Man from Toronto tells the story of Teddy, (Kevin Hart) a struggling entrepreneur, who teams up with a deadly assassin, Toronto, (Woody Harrelson) in hopes of staying alive. Things turn awry when the assassin’s handler marks him for dead alongside Teddy, as they both work with the CIA to capture a rogue Venezuelan Colonel who plans to bomb his country’s embassy in the US.

The Man from Toronto is a 2022 action comedy film directed by Patrick Hughes, starring Kevin Hart and Woody Harrelson in central roles; and Jasmine Mathews, Pierson Fode, and Ellen Barkin in supporting roles. It is a Netflix original and was released on the platform on the 24^th of June, 2022.

See the trailer below:

I have seen this movie six times and each time I still feel like I am seeing it for the first time. It’s so simple and easy to follow that it’s almost childlike. I think the reason for this is because the movie is so interesting that you tend to enjoy it too much. You will laugh from the beginning to the end and still have the foreboding sense that something is about to go wrong, a suspense technique that is so well utilized.

I think the biggest strength of the movie is that it tells a straightforward and relatable story of a young man thrown into a situation he didn’t bargain for but which ultimately leads to his redemption.

As the movie opens, we meet Teddy, a resourceful but struggling fitness salesman and entrepreneur; a young husband who could not even fix the light bulb in their tiny house. He is heavily indebted and before the day ends, Teddy has lost his job.

Undeterred by this blow, Teddy takes his wife to a tiny cabin in Onancock to celebrate her birthday. Teddy’s only mission is to spend the weekend with his wife for the first time since they met as he has never been there for her.

Meanwhile, at the same time, a deadly assassin, Toronto, an accomplished professional whose name strikes fear in his world, gets an assignment to retrieve a code from a prisoner called Mr Coughlin in a little cabin in Onancock.

However, Teddy accidentally gets to the cabin first and is mistaken by the criminals for Toronto. Toronto’s name precedes him, everyone knows his name but no one has actually met him, not even his handler. Teddy is forced to interrogate the victim as Toronto, and by a stroke of ingenuity, he retrieves the code from Mr Coughlin just before the FBI and the CIA swoop in on the cabin and Teddy is arrested as Toronto.

 However, the criminals work for a Venezuelan Colonel and his wife, Colonel Marin, who plan to detonate a bomb in his country’s embassy in the US. The FBI, therefore, intends to apprehend him, and their only way in is through Toronto who is going to deliver the codes to him.

When the FBI discovered Teddy’s picture has been sent to the Colonel as Toronto, they make Teddy an offer to continue to pose as the assassin, Toronto, until the Colonel is arrested.

However, on his way to retrieve the second code, Toronto intercepts and kills off everyone in the plane, sparing a terrified Teddy, arguing that since the colonel has Teddy’s photo, Teddy has to deliver the package to avoid suspicion from the client.

 The unlikely duo, therefore, proceeds on a hilarious and dangerous adventure which leads to the arrest of Colonel Marin and the most unlikely buddies you will see on-screen this year.

Characters

Kevin Hart as Teddy Jackson

In, The Man from Toronto, Kevin Hart plays Teddy Jackson, a struggling but tenacious salesman who proves at the end of the day that he has got it in him to be the man he is supposed to be. Kevin is able to give us Teddy Jackson, a deadpan salesman bumbling through the maze he has been thrown into. Like a fish out of water, Teddy finds his arc when he realized he has not been the best husband he could have been and proceeds to find his wife and apologise. Kevin delivers Teddy on a super level that wows even his diehard fans. If you are familiar with Kevin, you will know that one of the things he is been criticized for is his inability to separate his personality as a comedian from his characterization but not in this movie, Kevin made me laugh without being Kevin Hart, the comedian. It is impossible not to enjoy him in this movie.

Woody Harrelson as Toronto

Woody Harrelson is another fantastic character in the movie and despite his age, performed incredible stunts even matching that of Fodo Pierson, who plays a younger assassin, The Man from Maimi. He is an anti-hero, a remarkable one who leaves an impression on you even as you meet him for the first time.

What makes him more fun to watch is the way he plays the mentor role to the younger and inexperienced Teddy, leading him to find his arc. This also rubs off on him as he finds his redemption at last; he quits his assassin career and becomes a restaurateur.

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Other interesting characters are Jasmine Mathews, as Lori; Ellen Barkin, as the handler; and Pierson Fode, as The Man from Miami.

The movie has received mixed reviews from critics and audiences, Rotten Tomatoes reported a dismal 23% for the movie, and Metacritic goes a little higher with a 34% score rating.

We really loved the movie because of the comedy buddy charisma between Kevin and Harrelson, the mind-blowing action stunts, and the easy humour in the film; so, if you are a fan of action comedy, you are going to enjoy the film. The Man from Toronto is a light evening watch with popcorn and family.

Also, note that the movie is rated PG-13 because of foul language and a few graphic scenes.

We give it a 7/10.

Let us know in the comment section what you think about the movie and whether you enjoyed it, too.