Very Bad Cops

I tend to have mixed feelings about Will Ferrell films. Ferrell is a likable guy and plays likable characters, but often his films feel a little too much like extended Saturday Night Live sketches; even if they're funny, they just don't have that much to them.

But I love The Other Guys. The premise is unexceptional, a mismatched buddy movie about two undistinguished cops who stumble into a big case, but the movie is wildly funny.

One of the things I love about this movie is how everyone plays it straight. Ferrell is almost as low key here as a cop-accountant as he was in Stranger Than Fiction, and while the movie is often extremely silly, no one in it ever gives a hint that they know it (although Ferrell has a few over-the-top moments that have that SNL cartoonish feel to them that I could have done without). Wahlberg doesn't act like he's making a cop movie parody, he acts like he's making a cop movie. There is a certain odd realism in moments where the heroes pull off something clever or dazzling and take a moment to be impressed with themselves.

Mainly though, this movie is just really, really funny. I could not stop laughing.

P.K. Highsmith (Samuel L. Jackson) and Christopher Danson (Dwayne Johnson) are the best action hero rock star cops in the NYPD. They get into outlandish chases for nothing arrests. Everybody loves them. Martin (Rob Riggle) and Fosse (Damon Wayans Jr.) are the jokers. Captain Gene Mauch (Michael Keaton) is in charge. Then there are the Other Guys. Allen Gamble (Will Ferrell) is a naive paper pusher. His partner Terry Hoitz (Mark Wahlberg) is still trying to make up for shooting Derek Jeter. Gamble is eager to do paperwork for the heroes and Hoitz hates him for it. Highsmith and Danson finally kill themselves stupidly in a chase. Everybody wants to be the next hero cops. Hoitz forces Gamble to take on a high profile case. David Ershon (Steve Coogan) is an investment banker who lost $32 billion of Pamela Boardman (Anne Heche)'s fund. She demands that he replace the losses and he tries to go on the run. Gamble arrests Ershon on a scaffolding permit violation but a professional team takes him. On the personal side, Hoitz can't believe that Gamble is married to Sheila (Eva Mendes).

I would have loved a buddy cop movie with Samuel L. Jackson and Dwayne Johnson. This is just as good in a completely different way. Ferrell is hilarious and Wahlberg is the perfect angry foil. The fighting partners have great chemistry. The angrier Wahlberg gets, the funnier the movie gets. Adam McKay has a great sense of the ridiculous. The story is stupid. The setups are insane. The dialog is hilarious. There are some gut busting laughs.

Really good watch, will watch again, and can recommend.

This is weird proof that Will Ferrell can do (some level) of action, and (as always) he's hilarious alongside Mark Wahlberg (see also "Daddy's Home").

To me, this is a testament of how good Will Ferrell is, not only can he elevate a bad premise (it just wasn't that strong), but he can elevate another actor (not saying Mark Wahlberg is bad, he's just not Will Ferrell).

With the on screen chemistry, a slew of supporting actors, including Michael Keaton, and some actually good action scenes, the onslaught of comedy sugar definitely helps any of the weaker jokes go down.

While I think the weak point is the villains: its a very bland "greedy millionaire business" trope, but even they get some good jokes in.

The movie is funny to start and rolls along nicely but quickly loses all steam and finishes quite weak. Having every single character be an off center borderline nutjob loses something without any straight men to set them up or play off of. Mark Wahlberg played the straight man part well for the first half of the movie but turns as loony as everyone else before it's over. A few laugh out loud moments save the entire experience but it really could've and should've been a better film in general and certainly funnier across the board.

Not nearly as bad as Step Brothers but not half as good as Anchorman. Probably Semi-Pro and Jackie Moon levels here.

Will Ferrell is back since the disappointing "Land of the Lost"! Who knew Mark Wahlberg could be genuinely hilarious? "The Other Guys" is the latest comedy to poke fun at the buddy cop genre, but this one is one of the best because the actors and director knew what they were doing.

Ferrell and Wahlberg have terrific chemistry and both of them have perfect comedic timing. But let's not forget the other supporting actors (too many to list here), as all of them have some memorable and quotable lines.

The jokes weave through slapstick and crude territory, while not being overly vulgar and overdone. The story is actually pretty engaging, as it is a genuine cop mystery at its core, but it is used as a vehicle for all the jokes to come in. And the jokes kept coming and had the entire audience laughing as well, this one the loudest compared to the previous Steve Carell entries "Date Night" and "Dinner For Schmucks". Sorry Steve, this year Will and Mark stole the audience.

Having said that, the production design, cinematography, editing, stunts/special effects are good, and the direction by Adam McKay is lighthearted and brisk. McKay is seriously becoming a big name in comedy film directors, and here is another memorable feather in his cap.

Overall, if you are in need of a laugh, see this movie A.S.A.P. This one is one of the funniest movies in years, and that's being honest.

Overall rating: 73/10