The Other Guys

Mark Wahlberg, Will Ferrell, comedy Team? Who knew? Yet this yin-yang comedic duo really clicks and with the pitch-perfect tone of The Other Guys, I was laughing out loud, a lot, and this is a rare thing. It takes good writing, perfect timing, and surprise to get me to laugh out loud. Add in some impressive stunt work and good acting and I was loving this film. The supporting players are hysterical, with Samuel L. Jackson and Dwayne Johnson leading the pack. Michael Keaton delivers a wonderfully dry performance and Eva Mendes provides the sexy. All this together makes The Others Guys a great summer film that delivers both action and laughs.

What I loved the most about The Other Guys is the balance between Wahlberg and Ferrell. We all know that Will Ferrell can bring the crazy, but Mark Wahlberg can bring it, too. These two together execute the perfect dance taking turns leading while never missing a beat. When Ferrell is demure, Wahlberg is angry, when Wahlberg is depressed, Ferrell is assertive, and when Wahlberg gets scary, Ferrell freaks him out, this is truly a yin-yang relationship and it is what makes this partnership works.

The plot is simple, Mark Wahlberg had dreams of being a great cop but when he accidently shoots New York hero Derek Jeter he becomes a joke and has ruined his career politically. Will Ferrell, his partner, is a forensic accountant. He’s more comfortable doing his police work on the computer. But when New York’s two flashiest, most celebrated cops are taken out, Wahlberg sees a chance to fill the void. Ferrell reluctantly gets dragged along.

Buddy Cop movies have been parodied before, one of my favorites is Hot Fuzz, but like Hot Fuzz, the key is in the relationship between the two partners. They start off mis-matched, resenting each other and trying to break it off, but through a series of trials, they come to know each other and accept each other’s foibles. They develop an understanding and a short hand that helps them in crisis. No one knows you better than your partner.

I’m glad that someone saw the comic potential in Mark Wahlberg. His commitment to character and his intensity serve him well in comedy. With this role he brings his reputation as a bad ass and someone you don’t mess with, that’s why when we get to see his softer side it is even funnier. We’ve seen this all before with Ferrell’s many roles, but by putting him opposite Wahlberg, it seemed fresh and new. I hope we get to see this paring again, it really works.

Rating: Must See Wahlberg and Ferrell, partners in comedy