MOVIE OF THE WEEK: THE OTHER GUYS
KEY CAST MEMBERS: Will Ferrell, Mark Wahlberg, Eva Mendes, Michael Keaton
Steve Coogan, Ray Stevenson, Damon Wayans, Jr., Rob Riggle with Samuel L. Jackson, Dwayne Johnson and the voice of Ice-T
WRITER: Adam McKay and Chris Henchy
DIRECTOR: Adam McKay
WEB SITE: TheOtherGuys-Movie.com
THE PLOT: Set in New York City, The Other Guys begins by introducing us to NYPD detective stars Christopher Danson (Dwayne "I'm no longer 'The Rock'" Johnson) and P.K. Highsmith (Samuel L. Jackson). The superstars of the department, the duo is the among the most celebrated officers in the city's history given their bravado, care free attitude and ability to always get the job done.
You know who's not? Detectives Allen Gamble (Will Ferrell) and Terry Hoitz (Mark Wahlberg), two desk jockeys who are the joke of their department. But what happens when Gamble and Hoitz find themselves in a position to change their fortunes and make a name for themselves?
And that name will keep them from just being known as "The Other Guys."
THE TAKE: Here's something I shouldn't admit - there are times when, as a critic, I just don't have the energy or enthusiasm to talk a movie in the way it deserves.
This, however, isn't one of those times - because The Other Guys really doesn't deserve much energy or enthusiasm since its cast and crew don't seem like they put much into it.
Like many others who have bought their DVDs and watched their films repeatedly on cable (or satellite as the case may be) love many of Ferrell and McKay's past efforts. The Other Guys, however, is just an exercise in excess (big name stars), bare bones writing (just about all of the jokes and the thin storyline) and poor execution (Mark Wahlberg, as a whole, just doesn't have great comedic chops anymore and, for lack of a better description, is just trying too hard).
Save for the last 30 minutes, The Other Guys is essentially a mess of slapped together jokes and wacky characters that just don't flow well. The main storyline isn't interesting, the one that is (Will Ferrell's character's past life as 'Gator' in college) isn't given enough development and many of the supporting characters (Eva Mendes as Ferrell's wife, Michael Keaton as the police chief/Bed, Bath & Beyond manager) aren't given enough time.
Of course, this would be as big a problem if the laughs were bigger. They just ... aren't. Cop Out, which came out earlier this year didn't do that well as it wasn't great in terms of the somewhat weak story (ditto), the jokes (Cop Out had more laughs as a whole, but the ones here are slightly bigger) and the acting, even by comedy standards, is weaker here than its predecessor. Dare I say it, there are times when the film is kinda, well, boring. And when you have one of the best talents - comedic or otherwise - in the game today in a movie, you should never have though come to mind.
*NEW!* PARTING SHOT: While the movie is funny at times, there are other films that are worth watching much more than The Other Guys.
RATING (OUT OF FOUR POSSIBLE BUCKETS OF POPCORN):
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