'Nice bits' include Ferrell in impromptu singalong

'The Other Guys'

By Andy McKinney
Gazette/Connection Film Critic

This is a cop comedy that really works. In part it is because of the star studded cast.

Dwaine Johnson aka The Rock is partnered with Samuel L. Jackson as New York hero cops. Disgraced detective Mark Wahlberg and forensic account Will Ferrell are also partners. They are “The Other Guys.” When Johnson and Jackson die in the line of duty, the unlikely pair steps up to try to become the next New York hero cops.

This movie is a lot of fun. Michael Keaton has a supporting role as a police captain who moonlights at Bed Bath and Beyond to support the educational aspirations of his bi-sexual son.

Keaton at one time was a major Hollywood star. This role reminds us of that and makes us regret the roles he has chosen not to play in recent years.

Eva Mendes is Ferrell’s unlikely, smoke’n hot physician wife. Anne Heche plays a scumbag high finance queen.

Baseball great Derek Jeter plays himself as the victim of Walberg’s mistaken shooting and the reason for Wahlberg’s professional disgrace.

Wahlberg is the ambitious cop, anxious to redeem himself after the Jeter incident. His squad mates nickname him “The Yankee Clipper.” Heh heh. Ferrell is completely content to sit at his computer and fill out paper work, even paper work for the other detectives in the unit. His big idea is to track down a billionaire Wall Street financier for the crime of improper documents for scaffolding. Naturally, this leads to murder, colossal rip offs and skullduggery of the highest order. We laugh through the entire investigation.

There are some very nice bits in this film. My favorite is a bar scene where Ferrell joins an impromptu singalong - singing outrageously sad Irish ballads-and in a lovely voice too!

Even the car chases and shootouts are made to be funny and are. Writer Producer and director all-in-one Adam McKay did a terrific job in all three roles. He also directed three other Will Ferrell films, including “Talladega Nights” which is generally regarded as Ferrell’s finest effort. Many people like the earnest, bumbling character which is Ferrell’s stock in trade. They will love this movie.

“The Other Guys” opened this Friday in the number one spot. Adam McKay might well have his biggest hit yet with this funny, entertaining, light weight cop/buddy movie. The PG-13 film runs one hour and 47 minutes. Three and a half saw blades for this fun, fast, film.