There are many great actor-director combos, Scorsese and De Niro, Scorsese and Di Caprio, Greengrass and Damon, Wright and Penn, etc
Adam McKay and Will Ferrell careers have been interlinked since Saturday Night Live. Under McKay's direction Ferrell has lived out a number of childhood fantasy, such as journalist, NASCAR driver and now a police officer.
Detectives Danson (Dwayne Johnson) and High smith (Samuel L. Jackson) are hero cops in New York who cause a massive amount of property damage along the way. Allen Gamble (Ferrell) and Terry Hoitz (Mark Wahlberg) are officers who are forced to do there paperwork. Gamble enjoys the paperwork, but Hoitz longs to be in the heart of the action and in disgrace after shooting Derek Jeter in the knee. But when the hero cops die, the NYPD needs a replacement partnership and Gamble may have found the case involving investment banker Sir David Ershon (Steve Coogan).
McKay and Ferrell both know that there films are not going to be awarding films but they know how to deliver a laugh. With The Other Guys they set out to parody (with love) buddy comedies, like Lethal Weapon, looking into the supporting cops of the officers who cause all the damage. There are some really funny moments and jokes, but this was when the film was more risqué and edgy involving sex (particularly involving homeless people), race and playing against police conventions, like when Ferrell talks a bloke into killing himself. But these moments are not frequent enough. McKay plays the humour too safely, what he should have done was been more edgy jokes, more willing to use language, violence, sex and race. The film should have gone for a 15/R rating, instead of playing it safe with the 12A/PG-13 rating.
The action was decent, better then in some films, but of course McKay is a comedy director. The opening chase was deliciously over the top and a homage to the Lethal Weapon series. It was both funny and exciting. Other action sequence were well handled.
If you are not a fan of Will Ferrell's over-the-top stupidity and physical performance then it is best that you avoid the film: but if you like it you will be happy. There are good moments of more understated humour like when he mentions how the Securities Exchange Commissions has failed with previous financial investigations. Walhberg's performance was strong as the straight, reacting to Ferrell's playing it by the book personality who avoids risks: he does humour with his anger and a moment I enjoy was when he threw Allen's gift out a car window. Being British is it enforced by death that you have to like Steve Coogan, and he was enjoyable, as well as supporting cast members like Eva Mendas. But Ferrell does play on what must be his personal fantasy, that hot women just fall in love with him.
Also at times the film does divert into sub-plots and leads that go nowhere, none has enough of a comic payoff. The film was too long and should have been around 1 hour 40 minutes, a good length for a comedy.
Jackson and Johnson were both very fun as the over-the-top, action packed cops and they deserve a spin-off.
A decent effort, but try harder for next time. Hopefully the DVD will be more adult.
Detectives Danson (Dwayne Johnson) and High smith (Samuel L. Jackson) are hero cops in New York who cause a massive amount of property damage along the way. Allen Gamble (Ferrell) and Terry Hoitz (Mark Wahlberg) are officers who are forced to do there paperwork. Gamble enjoys the paperwork, but Hoitz longs to be in the heart of the action and in disgrace after shooting Derek Jeter in the knee. But when the hero cops die, the NYPD needs a replacement partnership and Gamble may have found the case involving investment banker Sir David Ershon (Steve Coogan).
McKay and Ferrell both know that there films are not going to be awarding films but they know how to deliver a laugh. With The Other Guys they set out to parody (with love) buddy comedies, like Lethal Weapon, looking into the supporting cops of the officers who cause all the damage. There are some really funny moments and jokes, but this was when the film was more risqué and edgy involving sex (particularly involving homeless people), race and playing against police conventions, like when Ferrell talks a bloke into killing himself. But these moments are not frequent enough. McKay plays the humour too safely, what he should have done was been more edgy jokes, more willing to use language, violence, sex and race. The film should have gone for a 15/R rating, instead of playing it safe with the 12A/PG-13 rating.
The action was decent, better then in some films, but of course McKay is a comedy director. The opening chase was deliciously over the top and a homage to the Lethal Weapon series. It was both funny and exciting. Other action sequence were well handled.
If you are not a fan of Will Ferrell's over-the-top stupidity and physical performance then it is best that you avoid the film: but if you like it you will be happy. There are good moments of more understated humour like when he mentions how the Securities Exchange Commissions has failed with previous financial investigations. Walhberg's performance was strong as the straight, reacting to Ferrell's playing it by the book personality who avoids risks: he does humour with his anger and a moment I enjoy was when he threw Allen's gift out a car window. Being British is it enforced by death that you have to like Steve Coogan, and he was enjoyable, as well as supporting cast members like Eva Mendas. But Ferrell does play on what must be his personal fantasy, that hot women just fall in love with him.
Also at times the film does divert into sub-plots and leads that go nowhere, none has enough of a comic payoff. The film was too long and should have been around 1 hour 40 minutes, a good length for a comedy.
Jackson and Johnson were both very fun as the over-the-top, action packed cops and they deserve a spin-off.
A decent effort, but try harder for next time. Hopefully the DVD will be more adult.