Review: ‘The Man From Toronto’ packs a weak punch

Netflix’s latest big-budget action/comedy film brings together some big names – but very little pizzazz.

You’d think pairing up funny guy Kevin Hart with much-loved actor Woody Harrelson for a mistaken identity-themed buddy comedy would be a recipe for movie gold, but sadly, The Man From Toronto is anything but.

The movie tells the story of Teddy Nilson (Hart), a down-on-his-luck entrepreneur trying desperately to get a new workout he calls “non-contact boxing” off the ground. Teddy’s life gets turned upside down when he tries to treat his wife Lori (Jasmine Mathews) to a nice anniversary trip but accidentally shows up at the wrong Airbnb. An unsuspecting Teddy is then mistaken for Randy (Harrelson), a career assassin who incidentally lives in the coolest apartment you’ll ever see in your life.

The film follows a pretty predictable Hollywood action plot, and the laughs, while present, are few and far between. For his part, Harrelson seems to phone it in, and the interactions between him and a potential love interest (played by Kaley Cuoco) are charming but thinly scattered. In fact, Cuoco is quite underused as a whole, and it’s odd to see her thrown into such an inconsequential role with so little stakes.

As an action flick, it ticks off all the boxes: explosions, punches, hitmen with threatening auras, dumb cops, and even a cameo from Ellen Barkin as Toronto’s mysterious, tough-as-nails handler. Despite all this, the film lacks one thing that’s essential for a solid home viewing experience: fun. Even the inevitable foe-to-friend storyline between Hart and Harrelson feels dull, and any warm fuzzies from a budding bromance fizzle out by the third act. Throw in a questionable joke about gender identity and it all adds up to a pretty lifeless movie.

People looking for a brainless popcorn flick might have a good time, otherwise, go ahead and send The Man From Toronto packing.