By David Fleischer

Toronto’s extensive work on the silver screen reveals that, while we have the chameleonic ability to look like anywhere from New York City to Moscow, the disguise doesn’t always hold up to scrutiny. Reel Toronto revels in digging up and displaying the films that attempt to mask, hide, or—in rare cases—proudly display our city.

Eugene Levy? Comedy genius—love him.
Samuel L. Jackson? Ultimate badass and a Raptors fan—love him.
The Man, starring this dynamic duo? Unbearable shite. This is a film that scored a stunningly low 11% on Rotten Tomatoes, and you should really take a moment to appreciate how we at Reel Toronto must often suffer for our art.
It’s our second straight Toronto-as-Detroit flick, and, once again, the effort is rather pathetic. This is a film, after all, that peaks with fart jokes.

Most of this “film” involves Sam Jackson driving Levy around downtown Toronto, crossing far more locations than we can list. Really, just look up the financial district on Google Maps and you get the idea.
Richmond Street gets enough of a workout they must have spent a week driving up and down its length. Here, for example, is a grand comic scene where Levy is shown clearly with the Fisherman’s Wharf restaurant behind him.

And here’s a car blazing along through the Entertainment District.

Still haven’t got your Richmond fix? Here they are outside the Cambridge Suites, just east of Yonge.

Yeah, there’s lots of cars driving around “Detroit.” Why, here’s one cruising along under the Gardiner…

…and by the ACC.

And here’s one driving down Yonge, past Temperance Street.

But that’s all chicken feed. They couldn’t even pull some stock film of Detroit’s skyline, based on this shot…

…or this one. Oh well, at least there’s no CN Tower.

What about Toronto’s garbage cans? Do they use these in Detroit? Are things so bad in Hollywood, was the budget so fricking tight they couldn’t take the time to turn the bin around before shooting?

Thankfully, they do go inside, from time to time. Even more thankfully, they visit our old friend, the Distillery District. This eatery is actually Pure Spirits.

Our two heroes have a bite at this diner, actually the oft-filmed Kingsbrae Diner on King Street.

Finally we get to a closing scene, full of tearful goodbyes and body cavity–search jokes. It takes place at an airport, but it’s actually the Direct Energy Trade Centre at the Ex. And then the movie ends, and not a moment too soon.