17 September 2010

Ron Burgundy and Marky Mark present...

The Other Guys – Adam McKay

A sleeper summer comedy, The Other Guys is finally released in the UK this week after a mild success in the US where it seemed that the career of one of the best comedic actors, Will Ferrell might have been over with the choice of films he’s career has had since his break out performance in the legendary film Anchorman. Luckily, this film quietens the critics and shows how great Ferrell really is, and of course, with his partner in crime in both directing and writing, Adam McKay, the partnership continues to be strong. An actor who isn’t necessarily known for comedy, Mark Wahlberg here shines in a different role he’s used to, swapping the tough guy image for something a little sillier. The combination of the two has a great chemistry and they work really well off of each other. You can see this film gaining a good audience here and on DVD because it seems the kind of film to have multiple views to gain new quotes, which both McKay and Ferrell are well known for. Also having a great ensemble cast around them each bringing different jokes and laughs with Dwayne Johnson AKA The Rock along with Samuel L Jackson as the perfect cops start off the film in a perfect way where you wish that another film be made for these two guys. Eva Mendes also stars as Ferrell’s wife who brings the looks to the film and defiantly surprises in being funny and bouncing off the two leads. Throw in strange appearances from Steve Coogan as the villain (kinda?) and Michael Keaton, the one and only Batman, as a police captain who rules over Ferrell and Wahlberg.

The film follows the two “other guys” as they try to become “the guys” after the strange death of The Rock and Sam Jackson, with trying to investigate possible suspicious goings on with Steve Coogan’s character but they soon find themselves in a wild goose chase to find the truth. Along the way, the two police officers become better at the job, overcome fears and find themselves in sticky situations over and over again. These scenarios they find themselves in are very funny and the continued fuck ups they cause really bring out the laughs. The first ten minutes is magically funny but then throughout you’ll find themselves laughing in patches and then by the end sequence you’ll be rooting for the unlikely heroes and the film switches from comedy to action as it sees the characters become the men they want to be.

A thoroughly funny film which will be good on DVD, but if you’re not doing anything this weekend and have a couple of hours free, go check it out with friends.

7/10

Simon Childs

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