Movie: ‘The Other Guys’
In Theaters: Aug. 6, 2010
Director: Adam McKay
Runtime: 107 min.
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for crude and sexual content, language, violence and some drug material
Gecko Rating: 
While trying to entice my 16-year-old son to go see this with me – yes, my kids have seen so many movies that I have to bribe them to go with me anymore – one of my arguments was, “But it has Samuel L. Jackson in it! You know, ‘Snakes on a Plane’!”
Well, it turns out that Samuel L. Jackson and his cop partner Dwayne Johnson are only in the first few minutes of the movie. Those minutes are funny, but I needn’t have worried. This movie has lots of laughs thanks to the oddball pairing of Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg. It’s kind of like one long ‘Funny or Die’ skit, only not quite as raunchy as some of those get.
Allen Gamble (Ferrell) is an NYPD forensic accountant who’d rather file paperwork than get a piece of the action. Terry Hoitz (Wahlberg) is a detective who calls himself “a peacock who just wants to fly.” The only problem? He’s been sidelined after shooting Derek Jeter, which consequently caused Jeter’s team to lose, which, of course, has everyone mad at Hoitz.
But when the precinct loses its hot-shot cops, played by Jackson and Johnson, Hoitz drags Gamble into the thick of things to try and fill their void. The case they’re pursuing involves a famous finance whiz (Steve Coogan) who’s bilking billions in corporate fraud.
I’m not a fan of every Will Ferrell movie (I just didn’t get ‘Anchorman’), but he milks every opportunity here to be the goofy, clueless character who for some bizarre reason, attracts gorgeous women to him, including his sexy wife played by Eva Mendes. Ferrell effortlessly gives every scene all he’s got – it takes a real comic talent to be funny without trying to be funny – and it’s only made better with the edgy Wahlberg as his partner. It’s a buddy cop movie turned on its side and ramped up a few notches.
‘The Other Guys’ includes lots of comic violence (including a suicidal jumper scene that would be tragic if it wasn’t so funny) and some sex talk, so I don’t recommend it for kids younger than 14. But it’s one of those goofy movies where if you’re in the right mood, you’ll probably laugh out loud at least a few times. Sometimes it’s nice to just laugh at something that’s so dumb you feel dumb for laughing at it – but then you realize it feels great to laugh, so it’s all good in the long run.
NOTES FOR PARENTS:
Sex/Nudity: One character was a pimp in college (though, apparently, didn’t realize he was a pimp). Raunchy sex talk between a married couple, with her mom serving as the go-between. A woman demands sex from a character while her husband is in another room.
Violence/Gore. Lots of violence, including shoot-outs, traffic accidents, a suicidal jumper, and fistfights, though most of it’s played for laughs.
Profanity: Several uses of “sh*t,” “ass,” “hell,” and “a**hole.”
Drugs/Alcohol: While racing to a drug bust, two cops run over a bag of cocaine, which explodes all over their car (the joke plays out throughout the movie).
Which Kids Will Like It? Kids 14 and older who like Will Ferrell comedies or funny cop movies.
Will Parents Like It? It’s a pretty funny movie, though aside from cop partners standing by each other, it doesn’t offer much in the family values department.
Images: Sony Pictures
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