The Other Guys (2010)

Time for a shorter movie post this time.  Let's keep it around 700 words:

The Other Guys (2010) stars Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg as Detectives Allen Gamble and Terry Hoitz respectively.  Other star characters such as Samuel L. Jackson (Highsmith), Dwayne Johnson (Danson), Michael Keaton (Captain Gene Mauch), and Derek Jeter as himself also make an appearance.  The basic plot of The Other Guys consists of Ferrell and Wahlberg trying to gain the top spot in the NYPD chasing the financial blunderings of David Ershon, played by Steve Coogan, a stock broker of sorts who has lost a lot of money for some very powerful people.

What is most impressive about The Other Guys lies mostly in the duo of Ferrell and Wahlberg: their chemistry is surprisingly convincing, their characters compliment each other well, and while seemingly different on the surface, Gamble and Hoitz are incredibly similar.  Hoitz is your typical tough cop, but is held back by one major mistake in his past and because of it, is stuck as partner to Gamble, a cop who would rather sit at a desk and do paper work than go out on the field.  While Hoitz is held back by a mistake, Gamble is held back by a deep dark alter ego named Gator.  Hoitz, while tough on the surface, has a surprisingly endearing soft side; for Gamble, however, while soft on the surface, shows his brawn and intelligence later in the movie.  Surprisingly, throughout the film, audiences will only see traces of the most well known Will Ferrell (loud, obnoxious, and hit or miss one liners) seemingly because he makes an attempt at playing a more down to earth character, much like was seen in Ferrell's most highly reviewed film, Stranger Than Fiction (2006).  Wahlberg on the other hand helps fill in the comedic gap and really manages to carry his weight, all while maintaining his macho cop attitude.

While the time that Jackson and Johnson appear in the film is short, their time on the screen is exciting and hilarious.  Of the guest appearances, however, none is better than Michael Keaton.  Keaton's character, Captain Gene Mauch, is for the most part a hard ass, but subtle aspects of his character make him more memorable and subtly satirical; for instance, he works another job as a Bed, Bath, and Beyond team leader.  Keaton's character also has the best running gag throughout the movie as well, ignorantly quoting TLC lyrics while giving pep talks to Hoitz and Gamble ("Don't go chasing waterfalls").  While there aren't many prominent female roles in the movie, Eva Mendes plays Gamble's wife, Dr. Sheila Gamble, and some of the interactions between Mendes and Ferrell are witty, several of them circling around Ferrell's delusion that his wife is a plain Jane and dresses like a hobo.


The Other Guys successfully manages to blend action and comedy, which is another strong point.  Unlike other cop spoof movies released this year, such as Cop Out, The Other Guys succeeds in having adrenaline pumping chase scenes, high impact explosions, as well as slow motion gun fights.  While the action scenes are taking place, you don't feel as though you're watching a comedy, let alone a movie with Will Ferrell in it; each and every action scene really feels like its from an action movie, not some cop parody film.  Furthermore, The Other Guys also manages to set-up a few sentimental moments, even though these are quickly broken up with a zing or an awkward interaction between characters. 

While not the best movie released this summer by far, The Other Guys is definitely one of the better comedies.  Will Ferrel picks up his act and doesn't rely too much on his loud, obnoxious persona;  he really plays the character of Allen Gamble well, being mild mannered and conventional.  There are certainly several quotable lines throughout the film, but not all of them rest on Will Ferrel (in fact, one of my favorites comes from Damon Wayans Jr.: "I hope you like prison food!... and penis!").  The comedic burden is definitely spread throughout the cast and a significant portion of it is taken up by Wahlberg, who does an excellent job of playing the loud, angry, sarcastic cop  who just wants to fly like a peacock.  If not in theaters, definitely check out The Other Guys when it comes out on DVD/Blu-ray.  Its more than worth a viewing and I promise that you'll find at least one quotable, much like any Will Ferrel movie I've ever watched.