Jackson should pick better scripts

Samuel L. Jackson seems to be one of those actors who cannot seem to turn down work. His repertoire is large and extremely diverse, and while I think this work ethic is noble and probably a lot of fun (not to mention all those paychecks), I think sometimes he may go too far. "The Man," the newest Jackson vehicle, follows in the footsteps of most buddy crime comedy/action films of the past like "Lethal Weapon" or "Rush Hour." The difference is "The Man" offers very little originality.\nJackson plays a tough Detroit Special Agent named Derrick Vann, although calling him Sam Jackson may have worked just as well since the film is full of Jackson's signature yelling and cursing. One day his corrupt partner is killed in a stolen gun deal, and Vann sets out to find those responsible.\nAndy Fidler (Eugene Levy) is a simple dental product salesman who is summoned from his safe life in Wisconsin to Detroit for a dental conference. Of course his trip takes an unexpected turn when he is mistaken for Vann at a café and is ultimately thrown into the middle of an undercover police investigation.\nThe basic premise of "The Man" is very formulaic. Loud, fast-talking agent is partnered up with a dull, geeky salesman and the two are forced to work together to take down crime. Along the way they bicker, work each other's nerves and even exchange a number of unnecessary fart and ass jokes, but eventually manage to become friends. \nAlong the way Fidler, of course, manages to mess up Vann's operation in every way possible, bugs him with annoying questions and proves to be completely useless while also extremely necessary to the investigation (you see, the brilliant gunrunners believe Fidler is an intelligent Turkish businessman in the market for stolen guns.)\nIt would be a lie to say that Jackson and Levy do not share some funny moments, playing off each other in the same way Chris Tucker did with Jackie Chan, however the movie ultimately just seems like an excuse to have these two actors work together. Levy definitely has a knack for playing geeky middle-aged white guys, and Jackson seems to love yelling at people on-screen. The problem with "The Man" is you can't have a whole movie of just this. \nThe movie was directed by Les Mayfield, the savvy mastermind behind powerful films like "Flubber," "Encino Man" and "Blue Streak," who, I'm guessing, called up Jackson and said, "Hey man, you want to make an easy million with Eugene Levy?"\nIt is impossible to completely bash this film since Jackson, even in his lowest moments, is still a fun actor to watch, however seeing "The Man" can easily be postponed until video. Levy is best suited in the Christopher Guest "mocumentaries" like "Best in Show" or "Waiting for Guffman," and if you're looking for a lighter, funny Samuel L. Jackson try Pixar's "The Incredibles," where he really shines as "the man"