The Other Guys (2010)

What happens when you make a police film that is pure parody from beginning to end? In the case of Adam McKay's 2010 film The Other Guys, it creates a pitch perfect comedy.

The plot of The Other Guys is fairly typical of a police comedy but it proves to be surprisingly funny while taking some unexpected turns. After detectives Danson and Highsmith, hot shots of the New York City police, are killed in action, detectives Hoitz and Gamble try to fill the void and become heroes themselves. The humorous part? Gamble has a desk job by choice while Hoitz was benched for mistakenly shooting baseball superstar Derek Jeter during the final game of the World Series, and when these two take to the streets in an attempt to become "real cops" it plays out much more like The Odd Couple than Die Hard. Gamble and Hoitz task themselves with amassing enough evidence to take down popular investment banker David Ershon, which proves to be difficult and chock full of hilarious hijinks. From being outwitted by bribes of tickets to Broadway musicals to a chief who constantly quotes TLC lyrics at the end of his advice, Gamble and Hoitz stumble their way through the case in pure comedic gold.

Of course the film would have fallen flat if any other actors had been cast. The movie opens with Samuel Jackson and Dwayne Johnson playing caricatures of themselves, Danson and Highsmith, who are such over-thetop action heroes that they jump 20 stories without acknowledging it will lead to their deaths. Two more heavy hitters Mark Wahlberg and Will Ferrell make full use of their comedic talents as Hoitz and Gamble. The interaction between these two men on screen is where the bulk of the humour lies in the film, highlighted by a conversation exploring who would kill who if Hoitz was a lion and Gamble a tuna fish. Also playing to their strengths are Michael Keaton as the chief of police, and Steve Coogan as the smooth talking David Ershon. Supporting the male heavy cast are Eva Mendes, Lindsay Sloane and Anne Heche.

The Other Guys relies very little on special effects, save for the action sequences featuring Danson and Highsmith which serve to heighten the satirical feel of the film. The movie even goes so far as to call shenanigans on numerous other action movies, when during an explosion Gamble and Hoitz are thrown to the ground and Gamble loudly and emphatically explains the difference between movie explosions and real life.

The only weakness of The Other Guys is its 107 minute run time, as through the last half hour or so the laughs begin to come fewer and further between. Everything considered, The Other Guys is a thoroughly funny film that any fans of police comedies are sure to enjoy watching. Just remember, don't go chasing waterfalls.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars