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SYNOPSIS:
Misfit NYPD detectives Gamble and Hoitz (Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg) are sentenced to life behind the desk. They hate each other and the monotony of their meaningless jobs, as they're forced to live in the shadow of the two biggest and most badass cops on the force (Samuel L. Jackson and Dwayne Johnson). But when those guys go down for the county, opportunity knocks for Gamble and Hoitz. Stumbling onto what could be one of the biggest crimes in years, can "The Other Guys" step up their game to solve the case without killing each other and destroying NYC in the process?
MOVIE
REVIEW:
People have said it and we are saying it again: If you give Marky Mark a chance, he is one hell of an amusing guy. Not to mention that he is one hell of an amazing guy too. Having a varied filmography which includes the entertaining The Italian Job (2003), the popular crime thriller The Departed (2006), the lackluster Max Payne (2008), the crtically panned but underrated The Happening (2008), this guy has come a long way. Especially from his CK underwear model days, and yes, Dirk Diggler in the delightful Boogie Nights (1997).
So here he is again, playing The Other Guy with funnyman Will Ferrel. Truth be told, we didn’t see this coming. To pair this unlikely duo up seemed a risky marketing move, wouldn’t people rather see Marky Mark paired up with Brad Pitt in a cop thriller, so that they can see two handsome dudes shoot those pistols off?
But this 107 minute Adam McKay directed movie is not that kind of cop thriller you were expecting. It’s offbeat, it’s funny and it showcases very amusing performances from Ferrell and Wahlberg. So yes, this paring works perfectly.
The story sounds passable on paper: Two mismatched cops are put in the limelight after the city’s top detectives meet with an unlikely accident. And in an attempt to climb the fame ladder, things don’t go as planned, resulting in a series of very amusing incidents.
What works perfectly well is the pairing of these two male leads. On one end, you have Wahlberg who is deadpan serious as a disgraced policeman who wants nothing but justice in his now mundane life. On the other end, you have Ferrell who is genuinely serious about his career as a police officer who specialises in paper work. The contrast between the two is a joy to watch. There are so many laugh out loud scenes in this movie that we cannot help but keep our eyes glued to the screen.
Then there is the scripting. McKay and Chris Henchy’s co written script is full of surprises. Here’s a sample of some of the wonderfully penned lines that left us in stitches:
“The sound of your piss hitting the urinal, it sounds feminine.”
“I'm like a peacock, you gotta let me fly!”
“This meal is terrible... it tastes like roasted dog asshole. I asked myself, ‘Who would slow roast a dog's asshole and feed it to me?’ You would.”
Now imagine these lines being delivered by Wahlberg and Ferrell. Can’t see the big deal? You’ve got to see it for yourself then. Oh, and you may want to watch out for Samuel L Jackson and Dwayne Johnson (now that he’s a serious actor, you may want to ditch the title of “The Rock”), who turn in one of the most entertaining performances ever for a cop thriller. Yes, we are definitely fans of this certified fresh comedy.
SPECIAL FEATURES :
This Blu Ray Disc contains a commendable platter of special features. First up is an Unrated Version which gives you nine extra minutes of footages. When things are this funny, we really don’t mind more. There are 30 minutes of Deleted and Extended Scenes which give you even more of the funny duo. Some work better than the others, but it’s all a joyful watch. Bed Bath and Way Beyond gives you four amusing minutes of Michael Keaton’s involvement in the movie – and that’s something welcoming about the comedy too, having the original Batman on set. Crash and Burn is an action packed 10 minute feature which takes you behind the scenes of how the adrenaline filled sequences were shot.
Everyone loves a good Blooper Reel, and here we have a six minute clip which entertains you with more of Ferrell’s antics. The “Mom”-mentary is actually an audio commentary featuring the scriptwriters’ mothers in a discussion with Ferrell’s mum. A refreshing way to do things, definitely. If you loved Eva Mendes hot body in the movie, you will also love the Music Video “Pimps Don’t Cry” performed by Cee-Lo Green and featuring the sexy Mendes strutting her stuff.
A whole load well produced and creatively named clips like “Wasn’t That???”, “Why Are There Brits in This Movie?”, “We Shouldn't Kiss Chicken” and “Mark Wahlberg's Eating Contest Entourage” are included on the blu ray disc with only one objective – to entertain you further and milk well deserved chuckles to cast away your blues.
AUDIO/VISUAL:
As with many other blu ray discs, the visual transfer here is perfect, featuring crystal clear high definition sharpness. The powerful audio track is available in English 5.1 DTS, Thai, Turkish, Czech, Hungarian, Polish and Russian 5.1 Dolby Digital.
MOVIE RATING:
DVD
RATING :
Review
by John Li
Posted on 22 January 2011
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