You're going to have to forgive me this week because I'm feeling a bit lazy about finding a dvd that digs way back in the archives. Besides, there's no reason that a recent release can't be considered a classic. Even TNT has that thing they call the "New Classics" so why can't I? Some movies are instant classics so there's no reason why some can't show up here less than a year after seeing them.
I have never been the biggest Mark Wahlberg fan. Even though he has had some decent performances during his acting career, something about him just never resonated with me. Maybe it was because I could never get the whole annoying Marky Mark thing out of my head. Or maybe it was because he always had that furrowed brow look in every role. So teaming him with Will Ferrell did not give me cause to think "The Other Guys" would be anything special. But...this is Will Ferrell we're talking about.
Some folks were saying that Ferrell was back to form with this one but I personally don't understand that claim. He has never fell off to me. I will admit that I initially thought he may have stumbled a bit with "Semi Pro", but even that one was good upon an additional viewing or two. The guy is just too talented to make a bad movie. He doesn't have it in him. I even liked "Bewitched" and "Kicking and Screaming". Plus, you team him up with Adam McKay and you can pretty much count on gold.
Any misgivings that I had about Wahlberg were quickly dismissed in this role. It was as if he was playing a character that was making fun of the things about him I had problems with. He was the perfect polar opposite of Ferrell's tempered character. The madder his Hoitz character got as Ferrell's Gamble character got calmer made for some of the best moments in "The Other Guys". It was enhanced even more when Hoitz was understandably pacified by the presence of Gamble's wife Sheila (Eva Mendez).
Anyone that knows anything about movies like this knows that the characters played by The Rock and Samuel Jackson were not going to be in the film long. If you don't, you do now. The top billing of the film is supposed to be Ferrell and Wahlberg so of course there had to be something happen for the other big name stars to exit the flick. I won't go as far as to spoil it for you. However, let me say that it was the most random thing you would ever expect. In fact, it easily made for probably the funniest scene in the entire joint.
What I was not expecting was the performances from two secondary characters to almost upstage Ferrell. Competing detectives Martin (Rob Riggle) and Fosse (Damon Wayans, Jr.) chimed in to give some of the best laughs. They would only be for seconds at a time but they were priceless. Like their visit to the elementary classroom and especially the impromptu ride-along that followed.
E and I make it a point to see a movie whenever he comes to town to visit or when I'm down there. Up until now, our selections have been sub-par at best. We found a bonafide winner in "The Other Guys" though. Although there may have been a couple of parts where it dragged a bit, there were still so many other scenes that were gut-busting hilarious that it made up for it. I was glad to see that this one toppled "Inception" as the box-office winner last year because "The Other Guys" is very clearly a better summer movie.
