The Other Guys....a Comedy? a Thriller? an Action Movie?? Who knows. I certainly couldn't tell you, what I can tell you however is that its one HILARIOUS ride.
The film begins with a really enjoyable action scene staring New York's star cops ("Samuel L Jackson" and "Dwayne Johnson") extravagantly pursuing a group of criminals. They are the "SUPERCOPS" and return to the Police station adorned with medals and gratuitous amounts of respect from their fellow officers. "Will Ferrell" and "Mark Wahlberg" are the office losers, the "Other Guys". After the rather unusual (and superfunny) demise of the supercops, "Ferrell" and "Wahlberg" seize an opportunity to step up like their idols -- only things don't quite go as planned.
Now after some terribly unfunny summer comedies, "The Other Guys" is very refreshing. It is incredibly funny, sharp and surreal. "Mark Wahlberg" is also real surprise as he often surpasses the seasoned "Ferrell" with his comedic skill. Especially in the scenes involving nerdy Will Ferrell's obviously gorgeous wife played by "Eva Mendes". Literally every few minutes there is something to cause belly laughs and infectious giggling. I was sat next to my Fiancé and he was literally screaming down the theater with his laughter. This being said...the style of comedy in "The Other Guys" is so varying that it really can leave you confused. There are relentlessly surreal scenes and characters most notably the painfully funny "Brett Gelman" as Hal...the new husband of "Ferrell's" Ex Wife in a scene in which he runs 20 miles non stop in pursuit of a car. But the film also has some fairly conventional chuckle comedy, slap stick and subtle character based jokes brilliantly executed by "Micheal Keaton".
Confusion is really the downfall of the film....don't get me wrong the film is a laugh a minute, but it becomes very muddled and hard to follow. It simply doesn't know what kind of film it wants to be. It tries to hold down a rather serious storyline of their high-profile investigation of shady capitalist David Ershon ("Steve Coogan"), instead the spikey comedy and the fairly complex storyline end up distracting each other..which results in distracting you (the audience member). The films closing credits even include an animated lesson about Corruption and Capitalism, its almost as if the writer was worried that people wouldn't just enjoy it as a out and out comedy....as though we "NEEDED" something more substantial to accompany the copious amounts of hilarity.
So overall "The Other Guys" is without a doubt an intensely amusing film...it just gets distracted by its rather sober storyline.
JOE ON FILM RATING - 8/10
By Joseph Samuel Carter
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