Director Adam McKay has made a career with Will Ferrell; the two have collaborated on Anchorman, Talladega Nights and Step Brothers. McKay has mined big laughs from odd environments such as Nascar and news casters. However, his foray into the world of action buddy-cop flicks comes out undercooked and uneven. Ferrell plays Allen Gamble, a helpless "desk cop." Allen is partnered with Terry Hoitz (Mark Wahlberg), who's itching to get some action in the field; these two "other guys" are the laughing stock of the NYPD. However, when Allen stumbles upon a scandal surrounding multibillionaire David Ershon (Steve Coogan), the two cops find their big break... One of my biggest problems with The Other Guys is Ferrell's tired shtick. I used to love Ferrell, especially during his SNL glory days. However, now I find his humor predictable; he has moments of brilliance, especially during a highly improvised debate about a lion hunting tuna (I laughed so hard I cried), but I want to see Ferrell take his characters somewhere new. The shining stars of The Other Guys are Mark Wahlberg, parodying the straight cop he plays so often, and Michael Keaton, the police captain who doubles as a Bed Bath & Beyond manager. Wahlberg's strained cop relationship with Ferrell is spot-on; Keaton has the best running gag of the film. Samuel L. Jackson and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson are also absurdly hilarious as hot-shot cops; they open the film with the movie's best action sequence.
The opening sequence is the best in the film because it is the most ridiculous. The Other Guys fails at pushing the comedic envelope - the action sequences are never over-the-top or outrageous enough, the jokes aren't consistently drop-dead hilarious, and the somewhat twisty corporate crime plot becomes confusing in its underdevelopment. McKay is juggling too much, and never fully succeeds on any plane; The Other Guys can't find its tone.
Also, McKay underuses some wonderful talent. Steve Coogan is barely given a laugh in the script; check out Hamlet 2 to see how brilliant Coogan can truly be. Also, Eva Mendes surprises as Allen's wife, exuding charm and great comedic timing with Ferrell; however, Mendes only gets one scene to really show her chops (she recently said in an interview that Anchorman is her Godfather, and that she worships McKay).
The Other Guys does have absolutely hilarious moments, great performances by actors who rarely dabble in comedy, and awesome New York City location shots. The comedic chemistry between Ferrell and Wahlberg shines; however, McKay's latest effort falls short, with a parody at its core that doesn't hit hard enough. Ultimately, I was left feeling nostalgic for the likes of Anchorman as the credits rolled (featuring odd statistics about real-life corporate scandals - wait, was this a comedy?). The Other Guys is a fun summer comedic romp, but McKay should be carving out new classics in the world of comedy, not bringing to mind old favorites. C+
The opening sequence is the best in the film because it is the most ridiculous. The Other Guys fails at pushing the comedic envelope - the action sequences are never over-the-top or outrageous enough, the jokes aren't consistently drop-dead hilarious, and the somewhat twisty corporate crime plot becomes confusing in its underdevelopment. McKay is juggling too much, and never fully succeeds on any plane; The Other Guys can't find its tone.
Also, McKay underuses some wonderful talent. Steve Coogan is barely given a laugh in the script; check out Hamlet 2 to see how brilliant Coogan can truly be. Also, Eva Mendes surprises as Allen's wife, exuding charm and great comedic timing with Ferrell; however, Mendes only gets one scene to really show her chops (she recently said in an interview that Anchorman is her Godfather, and that she worships McKay).
The Other Guys does have absolutely hilarious moments, great performances by actors who rarely dabble in comedy, and awesome New York City location shots. The comedic chemistry between Ferrell and Wahlberg shines; however, McKay's latest effort falls short, with a parody at its core that doesn't hit hard enough. Ultimately, I was left feeling nostalgic for the likes of Anchorman as the credits rolled (featuring odd statistics about real-life corporate scandals - wait, was this a comedy?). The Other Guys is a fun summer comedic romp, but McKay should be carving out new classics in the world of comedy, not bringing to mind old favorites. C+
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