I’m not Will Ferrell. Nor am I am I a fan of Mark Wahlberg. The Other Guys is a different story though. The Other Guys follows a rag tag duo of detectives as they work their case in attempts to be the next top dogs of the district. The reason why I’ll give this movie as an exception is because Wahlberg is excellent in comedy roles as seen in the summer movie Ted. Is it worth the ridiculous story and nonsensical setups? Read on to find out!


The Other Guys follows the story of timid forensic accountant Allen Gamble (Will Ferrell) and easily angered detective Terry Hoitz (Mark Wahlberg). Their real case begins when hotshot detectives Highsmith and Danson (Samuel L Jackson and Dwayne Johnson) die in a freak stunt accident. Driven by his need to investigate cases, Hoitz drags his passive partner Gamble to investigate a scaffolding permit violation. A violation which turns out to be a much bigger conspiracy than they first realized. Now they must not only save what’s left of their pride, but they must also get to the bottom of the conspiracy before it’s too late.


I love a good cop comedy once in a while and The Other Guys definitely scratches that itch. Its mixture of comedic and dramatic action really is a good combination and for that I applaud director/writer Adam McKay. I especially love the dynamic that Wahlberg and Ferrell have with each other. You can’t help but really want to punch Ferrell’s character in the face in the first half of the movie because of his ridiculous nature and you know what, Ferrell pulls off the gullible really well. You need patience made of steel in order to handle Ferrell’s character. I really loved the fact that as much of a tool Gamble is in the movie, he still manages to get all the highly attractive girls’ attentions, which baffles Hoitsz. Is great in comedy movies like said before. While The Other Guys is more based on reality, Wahlberg was able to balance that reality with the stress of managing his submissive partner. Sure he snaps eventually but it’s because he just wants to play with the big dogs.

Even though the movie has it’s funny moments I still think there’s a lot left to be talked about in the back story. I appreciated the stuff about Gamble’s pimping lifestyle but there is practically no mention of Hoitz’s history with his girlfriend. Not only that I found that the movie didn’t spend nearly enough time explaining why David Eshon (Steve Coogan) was being hunted down. There was just too many loose ends and plot holes for my liking while at the same time there were enough moments to satisfy my comedic bone.


Well if you’re looking for a laid back comedy with cops and robbers, The Other Guys won’t disappoint. It has its funny moments, but nothing that I will see myself quoting anytime soon. Notable mentions going to Michael Keaton playing Captain Gene Mauch who also plays a supervisor at a Bed Bath and Beyond. Completely out of character but also really funny the way he balances his two lives. The Other Guys is well worth a watch but is pretty forgettable.