The Man

A federal agent in Detroit is trying to recover a large shipment of stolen weapons after his partner is found dead. When a weapons dealer mistakes a visiting dental supply salesman for the buyer, the agent has to work with the salesman and pass him off as a serious criminal, even though the man is a talkative civilian with no experience of this world. The two race through the city as the agent tries to close the deal, catch those responsible and stay ahead of suspicion falling on himself.

The Man is an action comedy directed by Les Mayfield, released in 2005 as the seventh of the eight features he directed between 1988 and 2007. Samuel L. Jackson plays Derrick Vann and Eugene Levy plays Andy Fiddler, with Miguel Ferrer, Luke Goss, Susie Essman and Anthony Mackie among the supporting cast. Margaret Oberman, Stephen Carpenter and Jim Piddock wrote the screenplay, and Robert N. Fried produced.

Made for about 33 million dollars, the film took in roughly 13 million worldwide. On IMDb it holds 5.5 out of 10 from around 28,000 votes, and on TMDB 5.8 out of 10 from 646 votes, figures that place it in modest territory for a studio comedy built around its two leads.