Mark Wahlberg and
Will Ferrell

The Other Guys Poster

Samuel L. Jackson and
Dwayne Johnson

Click on images to view larger version.

Will Ferrell is a Very Funny Guy in His New NYPD Comedy

Immediately from the start, I’ll tell you that the majority of the screening audience, (including myself) laughed-out-loud continually through the new Will Ferrell NYPD caper film, The Other Guys. Ferrell teams with Mark Wahlberg as his police sidekick and the pair is hilarious. Eva Mendes as Ferrell’s sexy wife spices up the story and she has several amusing scenes that showcases her comedic talents. The casting of Michael Keaton, as the quirky police captain who moonlights at Bed Bath and Beyond is also spot on. Samuel L. Jackson and Dwayne Johnson complete the main players as grandstanding macho policemen. Adam McKay, co-writer/director of the The Other Guys, has been Ferrell’s longtime collaborator on films such as; Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, and Step Brothers. They undoubtedly appear to have a winner to add to their list.

The premise of the story line is a bit of a stretch as Ferrell plays a nerdy computer desk cop who avoids the rough and tough action of a cop’s job. Wahlberg, his new partner, is quite the opposite. He’s so ready for action that he mistakenly shot Derek Jetter while on the job and has been nicknamed the ‘Yankee Clipper.’

In one scene the duo are racing down a New York street answering a call and Ferrell blasts Little River Band's mellow 70s hit ‘Reminiscing.’ Wahlberg flips out and demands another song, he questions, “Are you serious man?” Thoughts of the Rush Hour films (1998) with Jackie Chan and Chris Rock as a pair of polar opposite cops came to mind especially when Jackie Chan sings along with the song ‘War.’ Here’s some of the dialogue: Rock: You don't know nothing about no War. Chan: Everybody knows War. [singing] Rock: War! Huh! Yeah! What is it good for? Absolutely nothing, sing it again, you all! Rock: It ain't 'you all', it's "y'all"! Chan: Yaw. Rock: Y'all! Chan: Yaw! Rock: Man you sound like a Karate movie, y'all! One of my favorite comedy movie moments!

New York’s hotshot celebrity detectives Samuel L. Jackson and Dwayne Johnson are perfect in beginning of the film as they are the over-the-top cops that Ferrell idolizes. Do they give him the time of day? No! They are way too cool, as this situation is played to the hilt with Ferrell photographing and treating the cops as true heroes; when in fact they are more like cartoon characters. Ferrell’s safety zone is his desk and computer. He enjoys solving crime from following shady corporate deals. When financial guru David Ershon (Steve Coogan), a Bernie Madoff type that happens to be British is discovered in some unsavory business transactions. Ferrell alerts his partner and it's off to the races.

The main reason the film works so well is the banter between Ferrell and Wahlberg. One is a tough guy and one is content to play it safe. They meet somewhere in the middle and begin to develop a friendship. Of course Ferrell takes it too the extreme and Wahlberg acts accordingly. Pop culture references are apparent and are peppered throughout the script.

Bottom-line: Very funny film with lots of action that all should enjoy especially Will Ferrell fans.

Sarah Adamson © August 6, 2010