CHRIS' QUARANTINE RECOMMENDATION OF THE DAY (4/29/20): THE OTHER GUYS

CHRIS' QUARANTINE RECOMMENDATION OF THE DAY (4/29/20): 

THE OTHER GUYS

By Chris La Vigna (@Chris_LaVigna)

Gator don't play no shit! Gator never been about playin' no shit!

I don't think it's too controversial to say that Adam McKay was one of the finest comedy filmmakers of the 2000s. I mean, just look at the guys' roster: STEP BROTHERS, ANCHORMAN, TALLADEGA NIGHTS, all beloved comedy films that continue to get quoted from and referenced in other works to this very day. Hell, there's even an actual Catalina Wine Mixer now, and is still scheduled to happen in September 2020 despite current Covid-19 concerns (Sadly, no one has started a real Prestige Worldwide business that specializes in entertainment, financial portfolios, and black leather gloves). 

And all of that goes without mentioning the fact that he's one of the original founders of the influential comedy website FUNNY OR DIE. But I'm not focusing on any of that for today's Q-Rec. No, today, I'm telling you to watch one of his lesser-discussed but no less brilliant works, the 2010 action comedy THE OTHER GUYS.

THE OTHER GUYS is about two bumbling NYPD cops: Terry (Mark Wahlberg) a once promising patrolman who has been demoted after an on-the-job incident that resulted in him shooting Derek Jeter ("He's a bi-racial angel!") and mild mannered forensic accountant Allen (Will Ferrell). After their precinct's two default hot shot hero cops (played by Sam Jackson and Dwayne Johnson) die in a bizarre accident, every other cop is eager to take their place and claim the fame and glory for themselves.

 Terry desperately wants this, but Allen couldn't care less. He's a quiet, dorky dude and he very much likes the safety of being an accountant for the law.  But when Allen's hunch on a seemingly banal case involving some construction code violations causes a white collar crime conspiracy to bust wide open, he and Terry are forced to team up and get to the bottom of it.

These men are heroes

The first big strength of this movie is that is chock full of jokes. Almost every single scene contains some brilliant improvised line of physical gesture, and there's plenty of running gags that pay off as you watch. Hell, some of the characters are in and of themselves running gags. Mark Wahlberg's performance as Terry is perfect, because for the most part he plays it as though he's in a serious action movie. While Ferrell plays Allen as inhumanly calm and rational to the point of absurdity (especially when you find out his backstory). The movie also features some great supporting performances, in particular, Michael Keaton playing their beleaguered chief.

And what's unique about this movie is that it focuses on the evil of Wall Street and the predatory nature of unchecked Capitalism, instead of the usual street-crime fare that buddy cop films tend to focus on like drug dealers and gangs. Hell, the credits to this movie roll over a detailed animated presentation that explains the origin and nature of Ponzi schemes, while a freakin' Rage Against The Machine song blares over the soundtrack. 

It's crazy to see an absurd comedy from the guys who gave us "shake and bake" tap into the economic anxieties of a post-2008 Recession America. You can absolutely see how this movie was the beginnings of his more directly aggressive social dramas like THE BIG SHORT and VICE.

So yeah, THE OTHER GUYS is a great comedy that will make you laugh and potentially radicalize you, and you can currently stream it on Netflix. So give it a watch, and remember: GATOR'S BITCHES BETTER BE USING JIMMIES!