The Other Guys

I like Will Ferrell’s dry humor; I enjoy his Ron Burgundy character as well as his supporting roles in Frat Pack comedies (with Stiller, Vaughn, Ferrell, Wilson, Carell et al.). But this film is an example of a (hopefully only temporary) failure on the part of the screenwriter and director. Moreover, even the action scenes that do not require working with actors and the escalation of the dialogue scenes are terribly difficult to follow. The second star is only for Eva Mendes. (02/01/2011)

Will Ferrell... normally, I can’t stand his over-the-top, goofy humor. But in The Other Guys, it actually worked for me—surprisingly well, in fact. His style fits perfectly here, and I’m not even mad about it. This is the third American action-comedy I’ve seen this year, and I’m glad movies like this are being made. When you’ve got a solid cast, it’s hard not to have fun, and this one is packed with great performances, especially Dwayne Johnson and Samuel L. Jackson as the ultimate badass duo. The film kicks off with an insane energy I haven’t seen in other action comedies. Sure, it slows down a bit later, but the banter and one-liners keep coming, so there’s never a dull moment. I had a blast with The Other Guys. I don’t get why some critics didn’t like the cast or were expecting something more epic. I just sat back and enjoyed the wild ride with these two ridiculous characters—and that’s all I needed. (04/12/2010)

Yes, some people are satisfied with the small things in life. Would you like to know what I expect from a relaxing comedy? Well, for example, a minimum of boredom, a script full of jokes of all kinds, actors who can handle them, pace, swing and at least a little bit of skillful direction, if the comedy is also supposed to include a bit of action... The Other Guys has all that. I have to admit that I was very pleasantly surprised by the well-chosen and well-acting duo of Wahlberg and Ferrell (the dialogue about lions and tunas is the best). Michael Keaton as the "Captain" was also good, I would never dare to say anything against Eva Mendes, I like Steve Coogan more and more, and as for The Rock and Samuel L. Johnson - well... The only minus is that it could have been about 15 minutes shorter. Three and a half stars - however, I will boldly round up. (13/01/2011)

It’s really too bad that the considerable portion of brilliant jokes (the opening action, the fork on the table) is matched by a larger pile of fatal awkwardness (the partner etudes), which is mercilessly apparent during the two-hour runtime. Ironically, it's a parody in the style of The Naked Gun, where everything was handled with a ruthless stone face instead of theatrical goofiness. Honestly, though, I think if Ferrell and Wahlberg switched roles, it would have worked better. (14/11/2010)

Incredibly cringeworthy, incredibly cool. Stupid wise-cracks that tickle your funny bone and, at the very least strange situations with solutions so illogical they take your breath away. The plot is essentially pointless, but you never stop having fun. And the opening with Danson and Highsmith is great. The finale is stolen from my own Grand Theft Auto escapades. Whoa, your hair's soft! (24/10/2010)