The Other Guys

I revisited The Other Guys recently, and I forgot how absolutely offbeat and ridiculous it is, in the best possible way. Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg play mismatched NYPD detectives, each with their own flavor of incompetence. Right from the opening sequence, you can tell this isn’t your standard buddy cop flick. The big, absurd action set pieces featuring Samuel L. Jackson and Dwayne Johnson would be the climax of any other movie, but here, they double as a running punchline.

What really works in The Other Guys is the pairing of Ferrell and Wahlberg. Ferrell leans into his signature awkwardness, playing the straight-edged paper-pusher with an oddly compelling backstory, while Wahlberg infuses his desperate-to-be-tough cop with just enough cluelessness to be hilarious. Their chemistry is gloriously lopsided. Watching Wahlberg's character completely antagonized by Ferrell's calm, nerdy bravado actually never gets old.

Adam McKay directs with his usual chaotic energy, but there's a surprising amount of sharpness to how he satirizes both buddy-cop tropes and Wall Street corruption. The movie is funnier when it leans into absurdity and slapstick; the “lion vs. tuna” rant alone is pure comedic gold. The plot, on the other hand, occasionally gets too tangled in the financial scheme that’s supposed to propel the story. By the third act, I mostly stopped caring about the actual crime they were investigating.

Some gags land perfectly, but a few are so wildly over-the-top they border on annoying. Michael Keaton as their weary, TLC-quoting police captain is a weird but endearing touch. His deadpan delivery almost steals the film. But there are scenes, especially in the middle, where it feels like the jokes are trying too hard. The pacing also stutters in places, with certain bits dragging on longer than they should.

One thing I respect is how The Other Guys occasionally remembers to let in some emotional honesty. There’s just enough about Ferrell’s surprisingly wild past, his relationship with his wife (Eva Mendes, playing it far funnier than expected), and Wahlberg’s constant frustration that you get attached in spite of their idiocy. It’s not deep, but it’s enough to keep you invested between jokes.

Cinematography is actually a notch above what you might expect from this type of comedy. The action sequences are shot with genuine flair, like McKay is deliberately mocking Michael Bay. The city feels big and bustling, which adds a bit of weight to the zany chaos. As a comedy, it mostly keeps its promise: you’ll laugh a lot, groan once or twice, and probably end up quoting something later.