The Other Guys
The biggest revelation in this cruelly mocking buddy cop flick is Mark Wahlberg.
A riotous, relentlessly funny movie from Anchorman director Adam McKay, who teams up with his muse Will Ferrell yet again for more comedy gold.
The biggest revelation in this cruelly mocking buddy cop flick is Mark Wahlberg, whose straight man is borderline genius. From being convinced the po-faced actor is a brooding mass of misplaced attitude and self-importance, it's emerged that Wahlberg has the most amazing grasp of comedy. He and Ferrell are two desk-bound detectives that hero worship Dwayne Johnson and Samuel L. Jackson's glamorous and hilariously over-the-top detective escapades from the sidelines, being the butt of the force's jokes. Both ludicrous and razor-sharp, it's a spot-on parody of the genre. A shame that it seems to have some of its more cruder moments trimmed since seeing footage at Movie-Con - it's a 12A, and it treads that line finely, but we are left with some of the wince-inducing stolen car moment.
When Johnson and Jackson die in the line of duty, Ferrell and Wahlberg feel inspired to step up their game and get out on the streets. There is some plot nonsense involving Steve Coogan's investment banker (he's not allowed to be remotely funny, so don't go expecting it), but all the joy is to be had in the spark between our two new heroes. While Ferrell is consistently amusing as the socially inept, daft bastard, the provocation, reaction, and exasperation from Wahlberg is something else. A perfect foil who reins in Ferrell, while having exceptional comic timing himself, he makes this movie.
Ferrell is also sidelined by some other supporting cast members, namely Eva Mendes as his impossibly flawless wife, and Michael Keaton as his TLC-loving Captain (yes really, it's amazing) - both absolute scene-stealers. Easily one of the best comedies of the year (well, from this notorious comedy-hater), it veers slightly unsteadily through a tired plot, to emerge with excellent sight gags and show-stopping put-downs. But most importantly - it's hilarious.
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