Review: THE OTHER GUYS
Hoitz and his completely average-looking wife. No, she’s not stunning at all. Nope.
SPOILER WARNING!
Every summer Will Ferrell and writer/director Adam McKay grace theater screens across the world with their next comedic venture. Starring Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg, The Other Guys is an economic satire disguised as a buddy cop flick that is all at once hilarious and entirely disjointed. As Ferrell’s Gamble and Wahlberg’s Hoitz come closer to unraveling the mystery behind billionaire investor David Ershon’s (Steve Coogan) shady dealings, the film bounces along from fourth-wall-breaking moments, leitmotif gags, and random, occasionally over-played jokes that feel both familiar and out of place.
The Other Guys is a funny movie, but just like every Ferrell comedy since Anchorman, it’s an excuse to put Ferrell and company into another exciting world where they ice skate, play basketball, race cars, or crash funerals. But what’s worse is that those worlds are used as vehicles to propel the cast to the next joke about nothing. Most of the laughs don’t come naturally from the story, and instead, we’re given rapid-fire gags at every moment. This style of storytelling is purely lost on me. I’ve mentioned before that I’m officially over comedies with weak stories, because you end up asking yourself questions like “What’s the point?” and “What did I just watch?” while you walk out of the theater. Now, you could argue that the point of filmmaking is to entertain an audience, and you wouldn’t be wrong, but it always comes back to telling a story; that story should strive to entertain the audience. If I wanted punch line after punch line, I’d watch standup not a movie.
With that said, The Other Guys is the best Will Ferrell-lead comedy since Talladega Nights. Yeah, the story is thin, but it works well as a satire. Most of the jokes hit, and barring the frequent misfire, the humor works real well. Maybe the most brilliant part about the movie is the facts about the TARP bailout and Ponzi schemes that attack the audience during the end credits. It instantly makes the entire film seem deep or, dare I say, metaphorical. The laughter you’ll hear from the people shuffling out of the theater at this point will be strictly awkward, and if I have to sit back and think for a second about the embedded meaning in a Ferrell/McKay movie, I should probably feel guilty for thinking about that for one second too long. As long as you don’t focus on the half-witted plot, and eagerly await the next snappy line, you won’t be that disappointed.
Highsmith and Danson — May they rest in peace.
I tend to judge Ferrell’s movies fairly harsh, because I truly believe that Ferrell is a great comedian, and I’m sick of seeing him waste his talent on mediocre stories. While I wouldn’t call The Other Guys mediocre, it’s a far cry from brilliant. Check it out if you love the cast or Ferrell’s brand of comedy. Will it jostle some good laughs from you? Absolutely, but don’t expect a story that’s more than surface deep. Also, try not to let the ending credits trick you into believing that the film is deeper than it is, and more than likely by the end, you’ll be rolling your eyes at the absurdities of the American economy and appreciating The Other Guys for distracting you from it for a couple of hours.My favorite scene in the movie belongs to the whisper fight. A wake is held after the deaths of hero cops Highsmith and Danson (played hilariously and briefly by Samuel L. Jackson and Dwayne “The People’s Champion” Johnson). Tensions rise between partners Gamble and Hoitz (Ferrell and Wahlberg, respectively) and the rising stars of the force Martin and Fosse (Rob Riggle and Damon Wayans Jr.), which erupt into the four participating in what can only be described as a whisper fight. They yell softly as to not disrupt the guests at the wake, and roll around quietly on the floor beating each other up before Capt. Gene Mauch (Michael Keaton) breaks up the scuffle in hilarious fashion. It’s a classic moment in a mostly unbalanced movie. Actually, it’s Keaton’s character that possesses the best running gag of the movie as he is consistently caught sneaking TLC lyrics into his dialogue, and I love that we’re never given a confession but only denials. It’s moments like those where The Other Guys is great.
Overall 7/10.
Directed by Adam McKay. Written by Adam McKay & Chris Henchy. Cinematography by Oliver Wood. Edited by Brent White. Music by Jon Brion. Production Design by Clayton Hartley.
Starring: Will Ferrell, Mark Wahlberg, Eva Mendes, Steve Coogan, Michael Keatan, Samuel L. Jackson, Dwayne Johnson, Rob Riggle, and Damon Wayans Jr.
