From the creative team that brought you "Talladega Nights" and "Anchorman" comes another absurd action comedy. Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg star as Allen and Terry, two NYC detectives relegated to desk duty. Terry is paying penance for an accidental shooting (the flashback is priceless) and Allen just prefers the mundaneness of being a number-cruncher after having overcome a sordid past (again, another funny flashback). With two superstar cops in their precinct nabbing all the headlines, Terry longs for some of the spotlight. When a high-profile case unexpectedly falls in Terry and Allen's lap, this could be their big break to prove what kind of cops they really are - but can the inexperiened duo really pull it off? If you're a fan of Will Ferrell movies, you'll definitely enjoy his trademark humor in this one - though in several scenes it's refreshing to see him play the straight man during Wahlberg's angry tirades. Actually, Wahlberg plays the angriest character I've seen him do since the cop in "The Departed" - and he once again pulls off making rage and nasty insults guffaw-worthy. Nothing much new from Ferrell, but again if you like Ferrell being Ferrell than you'll be satisfied by his performance here. There are some great cameos as well from Samuel L. Jackson and Dwayne Johnson as the heroic cops on Terry and Allen's force, as well as Steve Coogan as the weaselly, Madoff-like bad guy (who, in my humble opinion, was criminally underused). Director Adam McKay also does a solid job of making the action sequences both impressive and over-the-top hilarious. All in all, "The Other Guys" may not have you rolling in the aisles gasping for breath, but there are definitely some hearty chuckles to be had, and Ferrell and Wahlberg make a memorable comedy duo.
3 out of 5 stars
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