By: Lauren Cohen, The Campus Movie Guru (University of Miami)
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The world is divided into two different kinds of people: those that love Will Ferrell, and those that despise him. While I fall under the first category (that’s not to say he hasn’t had his share of flops), haters of the over-the-top, brazen comic can rejoice in this: there’s still a chance that you’ll laugh your ass of during The Other Guys, as anti-Ferrell you may be.
Will Ferrell plays Alan Gamble, a straight-laced, bespectacled forensic accountant. Mark Wahlberg is Terry Hoitz, a detective who’s been demoted to a desk job after he accidentally shot Derek Jeter before game 7 of the World Series, causing him to be stuck with Gamble as his new partner. The plot is standard of any buddy-cop movie. But what really sets this film apart is this: its making fun of all those movies, and all action movies in general. You’ve all seen the trailer. Wahlberg and Ferrell are walking towards a building when it suddenly explodes, sending them flying backwards and onto the floor writhing in pain. “How do people always walk away from that in movies?! I call BULLSHIT on that!” screams Ferrell. The satirical elements of the film are golden, as is any part where Gamble and Hoitz get on a roll with their arguments and banter (my favorite scene involves a debate over who would be the winner in a lion vs tuna battle…Ferrell, obviously, being the tuna).
This isn’t the Will Ferrell you’re entirely used to. He starts out subdued. Stupid? Yes. But not in the over exaggerated manner of say, Ron Burgundy. He slowly builds up to the craziness that’s always dying to be unleashed from Will Ferrell, but trust me, he is a huge part of what makes the movie work so well. Wahlberg’s wide-eyed, mean glares are just the topping on the cake. The film, much to my dismay, suffers in its second half, dragging out and losing its humor as it scrambles to tie up all the loose ends and bring us to the conclusion. If it weren’t for this and its weak ending, I might have been writing a review for an “A” movie here. Nevertheless, the first half of the movie had me laughing so hard that I think it would be a disservice to do anything but recommend The Other Guys.
Rating: B
