The Other Guys (2010) review

Billed as one of the most impressive comedies of 2010, The Other Guys is a police spoof featuring Mark Wahlberg and Will Ferrell. Their characters, Terry (Wahlberg) and Allen (Ferrell) both find themselves stuck behind a desk at the police station, working as Police Accountants. However, when big time cops P. K. Highsmith (Samuel L. Jackson) and Christopher Danson (Dwayne Johnson) perish while chasing a suspect, an opportunity for Terry and Allen to fill their places arises.

The Other Guys is familiar territory for Ferrell, whereas the comedy genre is a virtual unknown to Wahlberg, but it’s Wahlberg who shines above his counterpart. After hitting a sticky patch in his career of late, with box office disappointments such as The Lovely Bones and Max Payne leaving audiences wanting, The Other Guys is a refreshing return to form for an underrated Wahlberg.

The Other Guys is a classic good cop / bad cop spoof. Wahlberg plays the gun-toting, trigger-happy aggressive police officer, positioned behind a desk to pay for a former error of judgement, whereas Ferrell is the ever-safe, cautious pen-pusher, content with missing the action in the field in favour of typing up the reports no other officer wants to do.

As far as comedies go, there are a few laughs to be found, but The Other Guys is nothing special or far from the norm. Wahlberg shines above a talented cast including Michael Keaton and Steve Coogan but there isn’t enough to sustain the audience’s interest over the course of an hour and 40 minutes. There’s obvious chemistry between the two lead actors, but after a promising first 30 minutes, where Samuel L. Jackson steals the show, the film falters.