The Other Guys Movie Review

The Adam McKay - Will Ferrell collection will eventually sell a lot of DVDs (or mindchips, or whatever), and The Other Guys is going to occupy interesting territory in that set. It has its difficulties, but it's definitely the most approachable, and funniest film in the set so far, but I'm not convinced those purchasing the set will think so.

Though still rather on the screwy side, and dipping occasionally toward the less respected end of the comedy spectrum, we are on rather a different plane here when compared to Anchorman, Talladega Nights, and Step Brothers.

We're in buddy cop territory, and Gamble (Ferrell) and Hoitz (Mark Wahlberg) are on the lowest rung of the detective ladder. Worse, they are unfortunate enough to be in the same NYPD precinct with detectives Danson (Dwayne Johnson) and Highsmith (Samuel L. Jackson), who are practically superheroes.

Gamble was transferred over from accounting (possibly involuntarily), and Hoitz can't get any respect following an unfortunate incident involving his gun and Derek Jeter. Adding insult to injury, Hoitz is saddled with Gamble, who he thinks is a "fake cop," and having him along isn't getting him back on good assignments any faster.

The pair stumble into a criminal conspiracy involving billions of dollars by way of permit violations, and before long they are in so far over their heads that they don't even know what's happening, nevermind having a clue how to deal with it.

We've made quite a leap from the fun, though juvenile and mostly unimpressive efforts of the McKay/Ferrell run, even if there are moments that return to our roots, so to speak. Wahlberg delivers exceptionally well here, and there's something about his frustration with Ferrell's character that creates a richer, more appealing comedic effort than most of Ferrell's sad sack, goofy turns, or his other rips with McKay. There's a reason it wasn't Costello & Costello.

Mark Wahlberg, left, and Will Ferrell in Columbia Pictures' comedy "The Other Guys."

Ferrell is solid as usual, and the film gets the most out of its supporting cast, with special honors going to Michael Keaton as the police captain.

What stands out about this film, especially considering it in terms of our walk with McKay and Ferrell (as we must), is that it is the first film in the "series" that has me convinced we started writing from a story, and injected it with comedy. I may talk down about those previous films, but they certainly had their moments, and overall were pretty funny, but they were written the other way around, with a few key gags having a quasi-story chucked at them as the excuse for using them.

Not that The Other Guys makes great strides in the realm of screenwriting, but it's a much more solid type of construction, capable of actually delivering the comedy it's after. Comedy that can take its points equally from quick gags as well as the mere fact that the police captain moonlights as a manager at Bed, Bath, and Beyond.

In the end, we've progressed a good deal, and you'll laugh more than you have in a while (going by theatrical releases), but we may have ridden this train as long as is wise. There are many moments in the film where it becomes clear that things are coming very close to going very wrong, and I don't know who is reigning it in, and who is trying to derail it. As much as the comedy here is undeniable, and though I must admit to thoroughly enjoying myself, a part of me was watching the collaboration itself - glad that it hit a very high note, but knowing that it was at its peak.

Many scenes here should not be missed, and your money is well spent, but there are several more entries to this DVD boxset on the way already, and I don't hold out a lot of hope for them.

Rating:  

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About Marc Eastman

Marc Eastman is the owner and operator of Are You Screening? and has been writing film reviews for over a decade, and several branches of the internet's film review world have seen his name. His reviews have brought him personal praise from the director of a major motion picture, and have been used as required reading in a course at a major University. These priceless rewards, along with just bags of cash, keep him from straying from freelance writing. He is also a member of The Broadcast Film Critics Association and The Broadcast Television Journalists Association.

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