Director: Adam McKay
Screenplay: Adam McKay and Chris Henchy
Cast: Will Ferrell, Mark Wahlberg, Michael Keaton, Eva Mendes, Steve Coogan, Ray Stevenson, Rob Riggle, Damon Wayans Jr., Samuel L. Jackson, Dwayne Johnson
Rated: PG-13
I’m kind of confused as to how I ended up seeing this film in theaters. I’ve never seen an Adam McKay movie (Anchorman, Talladega Nights) in theaters and I don’t care for Will Ferrell’s brand of humor (“yelling things is funny”). But for some reason, I decided to slap my money down and see it, and I’m glad I did.
Ferrell and Wahlberg play Detectives Gamble and Hoitz, two of the biggest losers on the NYPD, overshadowed in every possible way by two super cops played to perfection by Samuel L. Jackson and Dwayne Johnson. Gamble enjoys the world of paperwork, but his partner, Hoitz, dreams of being the next super cop. Needless to say, Gamble and Hoitz bumble and stumble onto a large financial scam that involves murder, cover-ups, and accidental bribes providing them with the chance to become the stuff of legend.
The explosive and impressive action sequences look like something you’d expect to see in any summer movie blockbuster, and they do a terrific job of framing the jokes about how explosive and impressive action sequences often are in any summer movie blockbuster. The jokes keep coming through out the movie, even when it lags toward the obvious conclusion. Make no mistake, The Other Guys isn’t trying to break any new ground, but is the first to point that out.
The jokes work for the most part because of the impressive cast. Jackson and Johnson are channeling Tango and Cash. Ferrell is the straight man and surprisingly subdued for the first part of the movie, making his character’s arc something of a change from the previous collaborations with McKay. Wahlberg once again proves he has amazing comedic timing. If you liked him in The Departed and The Big Hit, you’ll probably like him in this as well. Gamble and Hoitz have so many threats and dialogue exchanges that are just hilarious, I wouldn’t be surprised to see them pop up on YouTube as clips (Look for the lion/tuna bit at the beginning).
The supporting cast is also impressive. Steve Coogan steals every scene he’s in (no real surprise there) and Eva Mendes’s character is herself one of the better gags in the movie. Rob Riggle once again plays Rob Riggle in yet another supporting role and Michael Keaton pops up as the police chief (with an amusing second job) dealing with the antics of Gamble and Hoitz. Perhaps the biggest disappointment of the movie is Ray Stevenson. It pains me to say that, as Stevenson was brilliant on Rome and he’s my favorite of the Punisher actors (Suck it, Dolph Lundgren!), but I take refuge in that it’s not really his fault. He’s not given much to do except look menacing and he does that very well.
Perhaps the biggest failing of The Other Guys is pacing. I’ve noticed bad and downright awful pacing in Adam McKay’s previous films (I’ve still never been able to finish Talladega Nights for that reason) and it certainly doesn’t improve here. It runs along smoothly for the first hour and then it slows down, speeds up, slows down, speeds up… right up until the end. The quality of the jokes and the banter between Ferrell and Wahlberg keeps sloppy direction from being a huge problem, but it’s still quiet noticeable. Another odd thing is the surprisingly odd animated end credits that dwell on the current financial crisis, Bernie Madoff, and how rich the rich are versus how poor the poor are. Even though the movie is about that style of white collar crime, it still seems to be a bit too serious in tone considering the movie.
It’s nice to have a straightforward wacky comedy every few months (the last one along those lines was Hot Tub Time Machine), and if that’s what you’re looking for, then The Other Guys is probably right up your alley. Whereas it might not be cinematic gold, I enjoyed it, laughed my butt off in quite a few parts, and will probably watch it again. Oh, and stick around after the credits for an extra bit. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to Lundgren-proof my house.
Rating: 4 / 5 Stars
About the Author
Christopher Bohler was doomed to geekdom from birth. Named after the legendary horror icon, Christopher Lee, his parents ensured his nerdity with Star Wars toys, comics, and oh so many books.At a young age, Bohler was adopted by a Zenith television set. He's watched just about anything and everything that isn't a reality show. Lil' Bohler's childhood hero was Bill Bixby and he had dreams of being a paleontologist and working with the likes of Robert Bakker. Sadly, something went horribly wrong. Instead of becoming a future scientist, he chose to become an English major with an emphasis on creative writing.
In between there and here, Bohler has managed his father's comic book store, worked at the Battlestar Galactica prop auction, and won a game of Connect Four. Some of his favorite things are Bruce Campbell, tater tots, theoretical physics, Twin Peaks, Farscape, zombies, costuming, and the occasional video game. Bohler loves books, music, movies, comics, video games and above all else... television (it's the future of storytelling, just look at Lost).
Christopher currently lives in Atlanta, GA (sorta) and when he's not in front of a TV, he's working, writing, or drinking. Check out his non-fandom blog, damnitbohler.com, for his adventures into bad taste. If you feel the need you can reach him at bohler@damnitbohler.com.
I note that you were disapppointed in Ray Stevenson, but go on to say he wasn’t given much to do. That is very unfair to Ray. What you should have said is that you were disappointed that Ray was not given a bigger part. Remember, reviews can affect a actor’s career, so maybe in the future you should be more careful in how you word things. It seems bloggers many times are poor writers.
@mimi He didn’t need a bigger part. He was given a lot of screen time in fact. He just did very little with that time. He was quite funny in Rome, but here, nothing. I think that if Mr. Stevenson had decided to do something with the role he was given, it could have been great. I say that “He’s not given much to do except look menacing…” because that’s the how the script was written. Stevenson didn’t write the movie, but he also didn’t take advantage of what screen time he had. If I failed in regards to Mr. Stevenson, it was that I wasn’t harsh enough in this review, but that was simply because I liked him so much in both Rome and Punisher War Journal. I just got sentimental. Won’t happen again. Oh, and thanks for not ending your comment with an unnecessary insult.