The Man Parent Guide

Parent Movie Review
by Kerry Bennett

The MPAA rated The Man PG-13 for language, rude dialogue and some violence.

For weeks Andy Fidler (Eugene Levy) has been practicing his keynote speech in front of the bathroom mirror. As a dental tool salesman, he plans to rev up a roomful of prospective buyers at an upcoming convention in Detroit.

Then his whole trip goes horribly wrong. While sitting at the counter in a breakfast diner, Andy is erroneously given a brown paper bag and finds himself right in the thick of a business transaction with an edgy arms dealer.

Derrick Vann (Samuel L. Jackson) is a covert agent trying to set up a meeting with the armaments seller (Luke Goss). His partner has been killed and an entire shipment of weapons has been stolen from a police holding room. Now Derrick has only 24 hours to find the thieves and recover the guns before they end up on the street. When Andy is incorrectly approached at the initial encounter, the tough cop realizes he’ll have to work with the out-of-towner in order to pull off the sting.

But the partnership is uncomfortable from the start. Caught in an unsettling situation, the nervous, bushy-browed salesman gives into incessant chatting, nearly causing Derrick to kill him off before the deal goes through.

Theatrical release September 8, 2005. Updated February 13, 2012

About author

Kerry Bennett

Kerry Bennett is interested in media from both a journalist and parent perspective. Along with authoring articles for several family-oriented publications, she has written for Parent Previews for over 15 years. As a parent herself, she believes parents play a powerful role in teaching media literacy in their homes.

The Man
Rating & Content Info

Why is The Man rated PG-13? The Man is rated PG-13 by the MPAA

Buddy movies are nothing new, especially ones that join odd couples. In this case, it’s the family-conscious, model citizen who regularly flosses, teamed with the scowling, hardened, street detective. While audiences know the traits of the two men are bound to rub off on each other, the events are painfully predictable at times.

However, the main characters aren’t the only strange pairing to show up. The film swings between moments of slapstick (relying on Levy’s trademark comedic style) and brutal shootings. Violent street beatings are also depicted when Derrick goes after his local informant looking for a tip about the missing guns. As he works his way closer to the guy in charge of the operation, the body count increases. As well, Andy complains about Derrick’s use of vulgar language, yet the profanities (including several uses of a strong expletive) are repeated throughout the movie.

Playing on the mistaken identities and incorrect information, the writers have created a plot where coincidental circumstances lead to trouble for an unsuspecting civilian. Yet even with moments of creative writing, The Man’s content concerns will leave many family viewers feeling as uncomfortable as a trip to the dentist’s chair.

Talk about the movie with your family…

Page last updated February 13, 2012