The Other Guys (2010)

Starring: Will Ferrell, Mark Wahlberg, Eva Mendes

Directed by: Adam McKay

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Yet another Will Ferrell movie from director Adam McKay and.... Will Ferrell. Don't know who Adam McKay is? Name a Will Ferrel movie, and chances are he's directed it. (Anchorman, Talladega Nights, Step Brothers) All of those films manages to be slightly better than mediocre, with a few good laugh out loud moments. The Other Guys follows that formula, having quite a few genuinely funny moments, while being held back by copious amounts of bathroom humor. And Will Ferrell screaming.

He has to, its in his contract. 

Allen Gamble (Ferrell) and Terry Hoitz (Wahlberg) are two NYPD officers living in the shadow of another pair of detectives, P.K. Highsmith and Christopher Danson (Samuel L Jackson and Dwayne Johnson). Terry is looked down upon by the rest of the department because he accidentally shot Derek Jeter at a Yankees game, and Allen is just an office dwelling loser who enjoys doing paperwork just a little too much. When the two prodigy officers are killed in the line of duty, its up to the other guys to step up and take down the corporatist villain.

The best thing about The Other Guys is the casting. Ferrell isn't venturing into any new territory with his role, he still plays the loser who tends to raise his voice at inappropriate times. Wahlberg has great chemistry with his costar, with Wahlberg providing a real world "ground" for some of Ferrell's ridiculous actions.

Scream one more time... I dare you. 

 Michael Keaton has a role as captain Gene Mauch, the guy in charge of our two main characters. There is also many smaller roles that provide good laughs, including a hilarious cameo by Derek Jeter that I mentioned above.

There are a few problems with the Other Guys. It is your typical Ferrel romp, so if you arn't a fan of his other movies, this one will be no different. A lot of the humor rests on Will Ferrell doing Will Ferrell things, so at some points it can feel like the jokes are repeating themselves. I found myself not even paying attention to the main story, which wasn't too bothersome for me. It involves taking down some rich businessman involved in some kind of ponzi scheme. Its certainly a relevant story in todays age of government bailouts, but it took a backseat to the jokes here. The end credits are very interesting, featuring some impressive graphics and animations about today's Wall Street world. But they feel like they belong in a Micheal Moore movie, not a Ferrell comedy movie.

Bottom Line: 7/10: About on par with other Ferrell/McKay films, although its not as quote-able as Anchorman or Talladega Nights. A few great laughs with a great cast, but nothing memorable.