Pull for Underdog: The Other Guys
The Other Guys takes a look at life from the perspective of the folks who never seem to get their due in life, those who see themselves as constantly living in the shadow of someone else more appealing to the world. This humorous attempt at exploring those experiences comes through the eyes of staight-laced Allen Gamble (Will Ferrell) and bad cop wannabe Terry Hoitz (Mark Wahlberg), two New York detectives whose role in their precinct is somewhat akin to a backup infielder on a playoff bound baseball team. The lion's share of the glory for crime fighting is almost always given to P.K. Highsmith and Christopher Danson (Samuel L. Jackson and Dwayne Johnson, respectively). But when Highsmith and Danson overestimate their own immortality, plunging to their deaths, Gamble and Hoitz struggle against another pair of detectives to fill the void.
In the process Gamble and Hoitz stumble upon a plot by mogul David Ershon (Steve Coogan) to defraud investors. Ershon has lost billions for a client, and the client's henchmen kidnap Ershon (while he's being escorted in Gamble's Prius) to prevent him from fleeing and avoiding the scam he's promised. While the chief discourages Gamble and Hoitz from pursuing the case because the evidence seems shaky, the case beomes a way for them to shame their critics in the precinct and become the department's go-to guys.
Although they seem like an unlikely pair and have no qualms about their disdain for one another, Gamble and Hoitz come to see the complexity in each other that no one else notices. Hoitz meets nerdy Gamble's wife Sheila (Eva Mendez) and cannot fathom how such a beauty could be so in love with Gamble (it turns out he used to be a pimp). Gamble finds out that Hoitz, who appears to have no problems with his social life, is trying to win back a former love who has moved on. They are both forced to confront their own self doubt and biases toward others as they work together to keep Ershon from swindling what turns out to be their own pension fund.
The Other Guys has a lot of funny moments and lots of rich irony. Ferrell, who often portrays crazy or immature characters, does a fairly good job of playing a straight up character who just barely keeps his inner demons from exploding. The script didn't allow him to display much of the comedic talent which was made him both famous and infamous in film. The movie gets bogged down in the middle as their journey of self-discovery tends to battle with the development of their investigation. By the time they crack the case and save their pension fund, the viewer almost doesn't have enough energy to care because the plot no longer seems to be about Ershon's intended fraud. The film would have benefitted from better editing and a more focused script. But you will still get a few laughs from The Other Guys. I give it three out of five stars.
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