This buddy cop film is sure to entertain viewers looking for a good laugh.
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In a 2010 season nearly devoid of humor, the comedy film The Other Guys by Adam Mckay starring Will Ferrell and Mark Whalberg springs up from the drought and delivers a satisfying comedic adventure.
One might go into the theater ready to be disappointed by another repetitive role cast by Will Ferrell, but overall The Other Guys manages to be a pretty original and funny movie. The ridiculous nonsensical rants Ferrell is known for are present, but are paired with a bit of something extra to make it stand out from the typical overdone Ferrell we’ve seen in the past. It’s not Anchorman, Talladega Nights, or Old School; it’s a film that does pretty well on it’s own and doesn’t recycle too much of the old Will Ferrell. In addition to Ferrell, Mark Whalberg stars in his first comedic performance and does a pretty decent job. His character Terry Hoitz is wild and expressive, and lashes out at his partner and everyone else at the police precinct. Picture a bottle of repressed testosterone shaken up and ready to explode, and you have Terry Hoitz. Detective Hoitz wants to be out on the streets chasing cars, tackling criminals, and on top of the cases that matter. “I’m a peacock, you gotta let me fly!” Hoitz shouts in scenes where he feels emotionally and physically stressed. This is a Whalberg audiences have never seen before, and it is good to see him play a different role.
The story follows the relationship between the timid and intelligent detective Allen Gamble (Will Ferrell, Anchorman) and his angry, anxious partner, Hoitz (Mark Whalberg). These two detectives are completely incompetent and unproductive at the start of the film and have a general disdain for each other. When the two super cops at the precinct (Samuel L. Jackson, Iron Man 2, and Dwayne Johnson, Tooth Fairy) are away, the other guys decide it’s time to step up to the plate and uncover a conspiracy that could be the biggest case the city has ever seen.
Both detectives have made a reputation for themselves as being unreliable and unfit to take on simple tasks. Mark Whalberg’s character is a detective who has had it hard throughout his career and personal life. His wife left him because he came home angry and spent all his time worrying about case files. Adding insult to injury, his career was nearly ended when he accidentally shot Derek Jeter during the Yankee’s world series.
The two are hilarious as they argue through the entire duration of the film and its development. One of the more bizarre arguments is illustrated by Hoitz who states that even if he were a wild animal, and his partner wasn’t even big enough to be in his food chain, he would go out of his way to eat him, like a lion eating a tuna fish. Gamble responds in a nearly two minute detailed description of how it would be impossible for him to do so. A large amount of creativity and strangeness went into Gamble’s response that simply can’t be spoiled. Try and visualize a lion being attacked by an army of land-borne tuna fish, and you might understand how weird some of the jokes are.
The movie contains side-plots for character developments, but ultimately suffers from a bit of plot-development issues. There are only a handful of relevant events in the film that prevent it from being a complete package. The whole plot of the movie revolved around a mysterious bank robbery and a corrupt politician, and it pretty much remained a mystery through the whole film. There was no explanation for the villain and his motives, and some of the characters become stale and pointless as they appear. Much of the time is spent on recurring gags like Gamble’s feminine red Toyota Prius that is used as the dynamic duo’s vehicle through the entire investigation. Frankly, I’m surprised Toyota wasn’t insulted by the punishment and embarrassment the vehicle endured. Gamble crashes into a crime scene covering the car in blood and cocaine, and then has the car hijacked a couple scenes later by the criminals the two are pursuing. The car is recovered along with miscellaneous animals and promiscuous items, and smells like a zoo.
The Other Guys will keep the audience entertained, but because of the lack of plot development they’ll find themselves stopping to try and figure out what it is that’s worth laughing at. Although it’s nothing completely new and groundbreaking, audiences will still be tearing up with laughter throughout, which really makes The Other Guys worth viewing.
★★★☆☆
