The latest action/buddy/comedy/cop movie to explode onto our cinema screens – The Other Guys – was released only a few days ago, and so naturally we went on an expedition to see it right away. It looked bloody well funny in the trailers, but did it actually live up to it’s hilarious initial presentation? And is it really worth going to see? Well, I’m not going to bullshit you, so yes it did, and yes it is! Read our chat-review about it, then go see it!
Paul:
So we saw The Other Guys on Friday. I don’t know about you, but I thought it was hilarious.
Matt:
Funniest comedy of the year. I think it may be the only comedy I’ve seen this year actually…
Paul:
What about Scott Pilgrim?
Matt:
That was funny, yeah, but it’s more of an action-hyper-videogame-rom-com-craziness… The Other Guys is Will Ferrell on top form (again) in his funniest role since Anchorman.
Paul:
I agree! To be honest, I find Will Ferrell’s typical slapstick, screaming, random mentalistness a bit irritating at times in a bunch of his movies, when he goes a bit overboard for too long. However, in the Other Guys he pulls it off with just the right amount of craziness to be hilarious when it’s necessary. On top of that, his character, Allen Gamble, is complimented amazingly by Mark Wahlberg’s about-ready-to-explode character, Terry Hoitz.
Matt:
The unlikely pair bounce off each other pretty well throughout the ludicrous plot, of which I can barely recall…did this movie have a plot? I was too busy cracking up to notice…
Paul:
From what I remember (amidst all the laugh-out-loud’ing I couldn’t control), the story was about Gamble & Hoitz (Ferrell and Wahlberg), a pair of loser desk-jockey cops who – after an incident of the two local Hero cops – decide to break the biggest case they’ve ever had, and prove their worth. Comedy and explosions ensued!
Matt:
Yeah I think half the budget for this movie went on the batshit-insane opening scene with Samuel L Jackson and The Rock, which included crashing INTO a bus then blowing up a building…more movies should start like this.
Paul:
That was some seriously ridiculous (but totally unreal) action madness to open the film with, and yet it aided in making the hilariously droll lives of Ferrel and Wahlberg all the more hilarious, when compared to the daily activities of the heroes.
Matt:
The whole movie was completely mental – it has its share of Anchorman’s slapstick silliness, yet this had a lot more subtle jokes strewn throughout. It takes a talented writer to make a running gag of TLC lyrics spouted by a clueless police captain. Just can’t imagine stuff like that being handled any better.
Paul:
There were too many funny moments, of which I can only even remember about half! One of the jokes I liked was during a particularly action-packed car chase involving a van flipping over, when some characters comment on having gained their driving skills directly from Grand Theft Auto.
Matt:
They have a thing about cars actually, and thanks to some horny hobos, I never want to own a Toyota Prius…
Paul:
Dirty Mike and the boys? *shudders* Yeah, that was genius, if completely and utterly grim at the same time. I’ll think twice before I ever park my car in a darkened area again.
Matt:
Haha. I thought all the supporting cast were superb too. Steve Cougan was a nicely slimy (and clearly incompetent) businessmen, and Michael Keaton I felt nearly stole every scene he was in as the police captain-turned-DIY-salesman. There’s no stereotypes in this movie, each character is very original, and the fact you don’t notice this until its all over is to the filmakers’ credit.
Will Ferrel, Mark Wahlberg, and Steve Coogan make up only part of an outstanding cast
Paul:
Yep, a brilliant and believable cast with an awesome script meant I was thoroughly entertained throughout. There was one scene in particular though that blew my mind in a completely visual way, without any acting required. Do you remember the incredible scene in the bar?
Matt:
Holy shit yeah that was so unexpected and utterly fantastic. If you ever saw the TV show Heroes, imagine Hiro Nakamura using his time-freeze powers while Allen and Terry get wasted in a bar – the result is an epic freezeframe sequence that goes on for ages, filled with loads of humourous details. You don’t get stuff like this in your average comedy, but it was visually stunning and totally hilarious in equal measure.
Paul:
Definitely a really impressive visual feat to pull off in a comedy buddy movie, but then again, this wasn’t exactly your typical comedy. Something really made this film quite special, and whether it was due to the brilliant pairing of Will Ferrel and Mark Wahlberg, the cameo appearances of Samuel L Jackson and the Rock, the outstanding action scenes, the fantastic special effects, or the downright side splitting humour, it can’t be denied that it’s a real gem.
Matt:
I’ll happily sit through it again.
Paul:
Me too! So, just out of curiosity, would you rate this higher than Anchorman? Or would you say it’s just a different kind of awesome?
Matt:
I could easily recommend The Other Guys to anyone who liked Anchorman – both are completely bonkers. But The Other Guys definitely stands on its own feet very strongly.
Paul:
Yeah, that’s just it. It definitely didn’t feel like it was missing anything, and any comedy movie that has you quoting it the entire way home has done it’s job greatly in my books!
Matt:
Damn right. Go see this film now.
Paul:
Me? Ok!
Matt:
Not you! Them!
Paul:
What are you talking about? There’s nobody here but us…
Matt:
Actually we’re up to 35 fans!
Paul:
Fantastic! Now, it’s time to continue my evil quest for galactic domination in Spore… Mwoahahahahaaaaaa!
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