Monday, August 9, 2010
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Monday, August 9, 2010
MOVIE REVIEW
The Other Guys
Big Apple Kudos To The
World's Little Guys
Reigning the big boys in, one corporate sinner at a time:
Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg flank Steve Coogan in "The Other Guys".
Sony Pictures
by
Omar P.L. Moore/PopcornReel.com
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Monday, August
9, 2010
Adam McKay's police-parody comedy "The Other Guys" operates marvelously on dual
levels. The film's title and its pertinent end credits aim squarely at the
corporate root of all evil more than the inadequacies of second-string police
officers.
That said, Allen Gamble (Will Ferrell) and Terry Hoitz (Mark Wahlberg) have
longed to emerge from the shadows of New York City's super cops (played with
gusto and hilarious fanfare by Dwayne Johnson and Samuel L. Jackson). The
latter get the headlines and accolades. The former get marooned to their
desks to do paperwork for the NYPD's two kings of the city. When Gamble
and Hoitz get their opportunity to shine they investigate business magnate David
Ershon (Steve Coogan), a lightweight Donald Trump figure, who has some big stock
market losses to recoup.
Mr. McKay directs "The Other Guys" sans slapstick or disguises ala Tony Baretta
but Mr. Ferrell and Mr. Wahlberg work terrifically as a 21st century Laurel and
Hardy good cop-bad cop tandem.
Mr. Ferrell's usual physical comedy and hysterical verbalizations are priceless.
He's predictably unpredictable as Gamble, whom despite looking like a bearish
worn-down empty-suit biding his time, enjoys a fine domesticated life much to
his partner's chagrin. As Hoitz Mr. Wahlberg more or less re-creates his
Oscar-nominated Sgt. Dignam role from "The Departed", imbuing him with comedic
wrinkles. Hoitz's hot temper and meanness make him a perfect foil for Mr.
Ferrell, but Mr. Wahlberg supplies subtleties too as in "Date Night", and is
often very good here. Mr. Wahlberg has far more talent than some of his
performances show, and great work is expected from him in his forthcoming big
screen turn as famed boxer "Irish" Mickey Ward.
"The Other Guys" works because its true designs and intensions creep up on you,
even though you know, or think you know, what the film is about. The
metaphors are in place and the message is dropped on the audience, most of whom
will make the sore mistake of leaving the theater without watching the film's
entire end credits.
Always enjoyable, "The Other Guys" is about aspiration, success and obscurity,
and how those variables shift like tectonic plates. Behind it all are
secrets embedded in some characters. Revelations emerge in quiet,
unspectacular ways, and in moments antithetical to the tenor of their personas.
The film is a clever, entertaining and sometimes provocative madcap farce.
Mr. McKay directs Mr. Ferrell a fourth time ("Anchorman", "Talladega Nights",
"Stepbrothers"), though Mr. Ferrell doesn't write with him here. The film
was written by the director and Chris Henchy. As they both successfully
illustrate, there are underdogs and there are masters of the universe.
Some fall harder, much harder, than others, and you'll fall over laughing in the
process of watching "The Other Guys".
With: Michael Keaton, Ray Stevenson, Damon Wayans Jr., Rob Riggle, Eva Mendes,
Will Lyman, Lindsay Sloane, Shakiem Evans, Danielle Cell, Brianne Montcrief.
"The Other Guys"
is rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture
Association Of America for crude and sexual content, language, violence and some
drug material. The film's
running time is one hour and 47 minutes.
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