Yet another film in the long line of comedies directed by Adam McKay, “The Other Guys” is just as enjoyable as some of his other films, but without the obligatory, oftentimes obnoxious presence of either Jonah Hill or Seth Rogen. This film provides the type of consistent laughs one would expect from an Adam McKay film, providing a great spoof of the stereotypical buddy-cop action films.
The titular “Other Guys” are Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg, a mismatched pair of detectives who get into trouble when they catch the opportunity to be New York City’s top cops, like the detectives in the department whom they idolize. These superstar cops in question, Highsmith and Danson, are played hilariously by Samuel L. Jackson and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, who satirize the same action roles they often take, engaging in a high speed chase and delivering their snappy one-liners with a subtle nudge and wink, showing the audience that this movie isn’t about to take itself too seriously.
Will Ferrell adds yet another role in his legacy of blissfully ignorant, idiotic characters. Somehow though, this role never seems to get old, and his role as Detective Allen Gamble, is no exception. Ferrell delivers his lines in his signature hilarious deadpan to fantastic results. Parodying the movie industry’s excess use of bullets, car chases, and detonated bombs in action films, Ferrell lets the audience in on the joke, often commenting on how awesome an explosion was or being excited about taking part in something that could be seen in a “Die Hard” film.
Mark Wahlberg’s role as Detective Terry Hoitz is a carbon copy of his role of Detective Dignam in “The Departed,” but without the overly exaggerated Bah-ston accent and perpetual swearing. Hoitz is an uptight, rude cop who can’t hide his frustration at the fact that he is forced to sit at his desk playing solitaire while he sees the accolades and badass reputations that Highsmith and Danson have achieved. Wahlberg is convincing as a jerk, constantly yelling and making fun of his partner Gamble, and one starts to wonder if Wahlberg’s true personality is anything like some of the angry characters he plays. The chemistry between Wahlberg and Ferrell is fantastic, as they play off one another, and the dynamic of the straight-laced Hoitz with the idiotic Gamble is hilarious to watch. The film is at its best when Hoitz and Ferrell are bantering back and forth, and luckily, this is quite often.
Other prominent performances are supplied by Eva Mendes as Gamble’s “plain” wife as he calls her, and Michael Keaton as Captain Mauch who unknowingly references TLC’s songs. In a smaller but also notably funny role is Rob Riggle, the man responsible for howling “IN THE FACE” as a police officer in “The Hangover.”
The film’s plot centers on a small case of a businessman (Steve Coogan) not paying for his construction permits, which blows up into a high profile case involving a business conglomerate, billions of dollars, investment agencies, and multinational businessmen. Gamble and Hoitz bumble through the case, resulting in several amusing misadventures as they struggle to obtain the medals and recognition they feel they deserve.
The film isn’t without its hiccups, however. A particular gag involving a funeral turns sour as well as a joke involving Ferrell singing and Wahlberg doing a few pirouettes and other ballet moves in a dance studio. But for every joke or gag that falls flat, there are several more one-liners and funny situations that make up for it. The film always provides sly references to pop culture or other films, so the audience realizes that the film is a spoof of itself and all the other high-octane action films that take themselves way too seriously.
One other small thing that detracts from this film is its marketing campaign. The tireless publicity for this film ensures that a fair amount of the most hilarious parts of the film have already been seen and some of the best lines in the trailer are mysteriously missing in the final cut of the film. “The Other Guys” transcends the curse of the all-too-revealing-trailer though, providing some quality laughs outside the ones that have been manipulated for its television ads.
Overall, this film falls in line nicely with McKay’s previous, funnier outings, such as “40 Year Old Virgin,” “Pineapple Express,” or “Forgetting Sarah Marshall.” It also proves to be another great collaboration between Will Ferrell and Adam McKay, as seen in “Stepbrothers.” This film provides a refreshing amount of laughter in a summer severely lacking in good comedies, and it’s the best one of the summer thus far. “The Other Guys” is the light, harmless comic entertainment summer audiences have been missing.
Rating: Three and a half stars
Where to Find It: In theaters 7/8
The titular “Other Guys” are Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg, a mismatched pair of detectives who get into trouble when they catch the opportunity to be New York City’s top cops, like the detectives in the department whom they idolize. These superstar cops in question, Highsmith and Danson, are played hilariously by Samuel L. Jackson and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, who satirize the same action roles they often take, engaging in a high speed chase and delivering their snappy one-liners with a subtle nudge and wink, showing the audience that this movie isn’t about to take itself too seriously.
Will Ferrell adds yet another role in his legacy of blissfully ignorant, idiotic characters. Somehow though, this role never seems to get old, and his role as Detective Allen Gamble, is no exception. Ferrell delivers his lines in his signature hilarious deadpan to fantastic results. Parodying the movie industry’s excess use of bullets, car chases, and detonated bombs in action films, Ferrell lets the audience in on the joke, often commenting on how awesome an explosion was or being excited about taking part in something that could be seen in a “Die Hard” film.
Mark Wahlberg’s role as Detective Terry Hoitz is a carbon copy of his role of Detective Dignam in “The Departed,” but without the overly exaggerated Bah-ston accent and perpetual swearing. Hoitz is an uptight, rude cop who can’t hide his frustration at the fact that he is forced to sit at his desk playing solitaire while he sees the accolades and badass reputations that Highsmith and Danson have achieved. Wahlberg is convincing as a jerk, constantly yelling and making fun of his partner Gamble, and one starts to wonder if Wahlberg’s true personality is anything like some of the angry characters he plays. The chemistry between Wahlberg and Ferrell is fantastic, as they play off one another, and the dynamic of the straight-laced Hoitz with the idiotic Gamble is hilarious to watch. The film is at its best when Hoitz and Ferrell are bantering back and forth, and luckily, this is quite often.
Other prominent performances are supplied by Eva Mendes as Gamble’s “plain” wife as he calls her, and Michael Keaton as Captain Mauch who unknowingly references TLC’s songs. In a smaller but also notably funny role is Rob Riggle, the man responsible for howling “IN THE FACE” as a police officer in “The Hangover.”
The film’s plot centers on a small case of a businessman (Steve Coogan) not paying for his construction permits, which blows up into a high profile case involving a business conglomerate, billions of dollars, investment agencies, and multinational businessmen. Gamble and Hoitz bumble through the case, resulting in several amusing misadventures as they struggle to obtain the medals and recognition they feel they deserve.
The film isn’t without its hiccups, however. A particular gag involving a funeral turns sour as well as a joke involving Ferrell singing and Wahlberg doing a few pirouettes and other ballet moves in a dance studio. But for every joke or gag that falls flat, there are several more one-liners and funny situations that make up for it. The film always provides sly references to pop culture or other films, so the audience realizes that the film is a spoof of itself and all the other high-octane action films that take themselves way too seriously.
One other small thing that detracts from this film is its marketing campaign. The tireless publicity for this film ensures that a fair amount of the most hilarious parts of the film have already been seen and some of the best lines in the trailer are mysteriously missing in the final cut of the film. “The Other Guys” transcends the curse of the all-too-revealing-trailer though, providing some quality laughs outside the ones that have been manipulated for its television ads.
Overall, this film falls in line nicely with McKay’s previous, funnier outings, such as “40 Year Old Virgin,” “Pineapple Express,” or “Forgetting Sarah Marshall.” It also proves to be another great collaboration between Will Ferrell and Adam McKay, as seen in “Stepbrothers.” This film provides a refreshing amount of laughter in a summer severely lacking in good comedies, and it’s the best one of the summer thus far. “The Other Guys” is the light, harmless comic entertainment summer audiences have been missing.
Rating: Three and a half stars
Where to Find It: In theaters 7/8
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