a the movie open and detroit batf agent derrick vann ( samuel l. jackson ) be have a really bad day . his partner have be murder and and he a suspect . a storehouse of firearm have be steal from the evidence locker and and he a suspect . internal affair officer ( head up by actor miguel ferrar ) issue warning and ultimatum . and his lieutenant ( susie essman ) be none too happy about any of these thing . vann isn not and either and but at least he decide to try to do something about it . meanwhile and a few hundred mile to the west in the great state of wisconsin and dental equipment salesman andy fidler ( eugene levy ) be prepare to give a major speech at a sale convention to be hold in ( what a surprise ) detroit . his speech be in fine order and his flight be uneventful . but when andy arrives in detroit and his simple decision to get a bite to eat land him right in the middle of the sting operation vann have set up in an attempt to get the gun back and nab his partner real killer and and clear his own name . fidler and who innocently exhibit the sign a go between be look for and end up in possession of one of the steal firearm . bad and the bad guy now think he their buyer . vann know he have only one chance to make the deal and and so he forcibly enlist an uncooperative  and entirely naive  andy to play along . face with certain unattractive choice and andy do his best to work with vann ( his best and unfortunately and isn not much ) and even manages to alleviate some of the suspicion hold by the gun dealer representative and joey ( luke goss ) . a the deal progress in fit and start and mishap and and misunderstanding and internal affair continue to surveil vann in the hope of nab themselves a cop go bad while more body pile up while vann have personal problem while and andy end up in jail and worry he will miss give his speech . there a lot go on in the man . and all of it happen in 90 or so minute . that it will seem a whole lot long say something about the film and and it not say anything very nice . samuel l. jackson be a good actor . though he doesn not appear to be slack off here and there nothing anyone could do about the horrible line he give . i think eugene levy be a hoot ( he just wonderful a the earnest father in the american pie trilogy ) and but he not remotely funny in this movie . that probably because none of his line be remotely funny . miguel ferrar ia investigator be a caricature at best while susie essman be a woman in a man world artificially make ridiculously prickly by  you guess it .  some really stupid line . the direction isn not terrible ( though there be some edits that be ) and but the screenplay be truly abysmal . the storyline be obvious a all get out and and the script be trite at best ( at other time and it degenerate from trite directly to could this be any dumber . ) . both the director and the writing team have some experience under their respective belt ( though the résumés do not contain any film of particular note ) and so they all should have be good than this . that they aren not make me wonder how it be they ever get the green light to go ahead with what be obviously intend to be a mass market release . be the man a comedy . no . i know that because it isn not funny ( unless you think really badly handle fart joke be good humor ) . be it a cop movie . not really . there be stereotype everywhere and but no real cop action and or even jargon . be it a drama . see a how it utterly miss any drama or suspense and i would give that a no and too . so what exactly be the man . just a really bad movie . i frankly feel bad for the actor catch up in this mess . each and every one of them deserve good . in honesty and though and i feel even bad for those movie goer who and either intentionally and with high hope or by default and end up endure this film . entertainment weekly magazine give the man a d plus grade . i think that wrong . a d plus be a passing grade and and the man be a complete failure . political note represent in a movie that intend a federal agency to comprise a major part of the framework for the storyline and you would think the scriptwriter could at least get the name of the agency right . but they do not . although the batf have be the batfe ( bureau of alcohol and tobacco and firearm and and explosive ) for several year and now and it reference only a batf in the film . the movie also get it wrong when it represent the agent a the good guy ( batfe have a terrible reputation among other federal agency and and a bad one with gun owner  deserve on both count ) . it only wishful think that they would also be as inept a the movie present . family suitability represent the man be rat pg 13 for language and rude dialogue and some violence . i frankly find the entire movie offensive a an insult to my intelligence ( in a scantly occupy theatre friday night and nobody else laugh and either ) . a a result and i do not believe this movie be suitable for anyone of any age . anyone old enough to follow the shallow plot line ( say and 10 or so and up ) be also plenty aware enough to resent have waste the money on this drivel . i would recommend that you go see something  anything .  else . if the kid insist and be aware that the fart joke be harmless and the violence isn not graphic . the language do get rough in place and though and so if you find that objectionable you have another good reason to skip the man and hold out for what we can hope be a good week for movie next week .