Teddy Jackson (Kevin Hart) is a bumbling entrepreneur who can’t make any of his ideas work. Taking his wife on a vacation getaway, Teddy ends up at the wrong Airbnb and is mistaken for a vicious assassin known as “the man from Toronto.” When the real assassin (Woody Harrelson) arrives, the two realize that they have to work together to escape tenacious FBI agents, bloodthirsty hired killers and a handler (Ellen Barkin) who wants her money back. THE MAN FROM TORONTO is an explosive comedy with wall-to-wall action.
For in-depth thoughts on The Man From Toronto, please see my colleague AJ Fairnot’s review from its original streaming release here.
Video Quality
The Man From Toronto debuts on Blu-Ray with a sterling 1080p presentation in a 1.85:1 aspect ratio that really impresses. The movie itself has a crisp, natural color palette that is very rich throughout with an excellent amount of detail and clarity. Throughout this spry narrative you are invited into different spaces with strong lighting choices that bathe the palette in sumptuous hues. The movie employs some deep black levels, but there is a hint of digital noise at points. Highlights never get too bright or unwieldy. Objects hold up well in the shadows and retain their shape and depth. There is no damage detectable in this transfer. This is a fine transfer from Sony that stands toe to toe with the 4K UHD stream on Netflix, only with the benefit of better compression on the disc.
Audio Quality
The Blu-Ray arrives with a formidable DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track that executes the sonic ambitions with ease. While there is a focus more on the comedy side of the equation, there is a decent amount of action which kicks things to life when necessary. The low end of the track is a standout when things get kinetic. The dialogue and sound effects are appropriately balanced with the soundtrack where nothing gets muddled in the track. Surround channels are used effectively to enhance the environment and create a more three-dimensional space. Sony has really delivered when it comes to this audio presentation. There are optional English, English SDH, French, Spanish and an array of other subtitles provided.
Special Features
- Deleted Scenes: Six scenes of unused material totaling nearly eight minutes are provided here in an unfinished form. There are some amusing moments, but it makes sense why they were cut for time.
- Previews: There are trailers provided for Fatherhood, 65, Big George Foreman and Bullet Train.
Final Thoughts
The Man From Toronto is exactly what you would expect a Kevin Hart movie that debuted on Netflix to be. There are fleeting moments of amusement, but the script is lacking any sense of cohesion or innovation. The film is bloated with half-hearted comedic runs and obvious jokes. The action is decent enough for mindless entertainment, but even it pales in comparison to what other efforts have offered up recently. Woody Harrelson is what makes this movie worth watching, and his presence makes Hart up his game a small percentage any time they are on screen together. You may have a pretty enjoyable time while watching this one, but it is not a film that is built to stick with you long after the credits have finished rolling. Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has provided a Blu-Ray disc that sports an excellent A/V presentation and a sparse array of supplements for those who do decide to check it out.
The Man From Toronto is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray, DVD and Digital.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.