The Other Guys

• Released Internationally on 06/08/10
• Released in Malta by KRS on 22/09/10

Preview (first published 01/09/10 in VIDA magazine)

In a nutshell

Yet another buddy-cop movie, but this time coloured with Will Ferrell and Adam McKay's particular type of humour.

Why we're hyped

Together, comedian Will Ferrell and writer/director Adam McKay have made many of us laugh (and probably just as many roll their eyes) with the comedies Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, and the recent Step Brothers. If you find Ferrell nauseating, you might as well skip to the next film preview now. But if he tickles your funny bone, this might be the first decent live-action comedy this summer.

Who's in it?

Every buddy-cop movie needs two antagonistic stars, and the man patiently accompanying Detective Gamble (Ferrell) is Mark Wahlberg as Detective Hoitz, who was lumped with Gamble after a tragic shooting incident. The two minor-league detectives live in awe of the city's star police duo (Samuel L. Jackson and Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson), but they are thrust into the limelight when they least expect it. Michael Keaton and Eva Mendes also star.

Review (22/09/10)

The guys

The film opens with a feast of gunfire and car wreckage, as two veteran cops chase an alleged criminal across the busy daytime streets of New York. The scene sets the mood nicely – nobody takes anything seriously, the action is big and loud, and nearly every cop movie cliché is brought out for a beating. That's more or less the recipe that is kept cooking throughout the film, and for most of the running time it manages to remain fresh. Jackson and Johnson's extended cameo also establishes the huge difference between their status in the police department, and that of the two minnows who live in their shadow.

The other guys

Mark Wahlberg (Boogie Nights, Three Kings) is not at his desk out of choice. He craves the action on the streets, and curses his past luck and his present partner. As detective Hoitz, he's all enthusiasm but no delivery, and he tackles the part well, in a sort of skewered version of his own role from The Departed. Will Ferrell seems to be having more fun, and is perfect for his role as Detective Gamble - a nerdy, wholesome forensic accountant who is the biggest fan of the heroic cops, but feels his contribution at the desk is just as important. He is hilarious to watch, as always, and his inept manner makes it all the funnier when he actually gets things done.

The gal

Various police film staple themes are thrashed and ridiculed at length, and most running gags don't outstay their welcome. One which falls slightly flat however is the issue of Gamble's wife. Eva Mendes is down to earth but still quite astronomically hot as Gamble's wife, Sheila, and she seems to be head over heels in love with him, to the amazement of Hoitz. The marriage sub-plot wears a bit thin however, and Mendes' role is revisited unnecessarily. It's still fun to watch Ferrell with her, at least.

The result

Your mood might affect how you savour this film. It has lots of laughs, but many of them are of the silly variety, so don't expect to be rolling in the aisles too often. It's still enough to keep a smile on everyone's face, however, and coupled with all the action it constitutes some accomplished entertainment. The complex stock market plot might confuse you as it did the other guys, but that's hardly the focus here. Funnier than most other films we've had this summer, but nothing too memorable.

Trailers:

http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/sony_pictures/theotherguys/

Land of the Lost

 

• Released Internationally on 05/06/09
• Released in Malta by KRS on 02/09/09

 

In a nutshell

Based on the science-fiction TV show from the 70s, this adventure ride mixes time travel and what is fast-becoming Will Ferrell's trademark type of humour.

Lost in space

When I heard about this film and saw the promotional material, I was looking forward to a silly but fun mix of thrills and laughs. Unfortunately the focus here is firmly on the silly. The plot, for example. When it comes to plot, every time travel tale requires a certain amount of suspension of belief, however, that doesn’t mean you have to treat your audience like toddlers. The ‘plot’ here has to be seen to be disbelieved. Rick Marshall (Will Ferrell) is a zany and rather unorthodox scientist who has dedicated most of his life and a hefty sum of taxpayer's money to the invention of the ‘tachyon amplifier’, a backpack-sized contraption that looks like something a ghostbuster would wear, but which he claims can take him hurtling through time and space. Not surprisingly, it does, and before we know it Marshall, an enthusiastic student fan of his (the very British Anna Friel), and an incredulous redneck (Danny McBride - Tropic Thunder, Pineapple Express) are squinting into the sun on a desert alien landscape.

The lost world

Having very briefly skimmed over the details about how exactly our adventurous trio got there, and exactly where (when?) they are, the action kicks in. We first meet one of the locals, Chaka (newcomer Jorma Taccone, in a ridiculous low-budget costume), and then a rather grumpy Tyrannosaurus rex catches wind of our heroes, and proceeds to chase them for the remainder of the film. The dinosaurs and landscapes are all very eye-catching, and one has to assume that that’s where most of the film’s budget was spent (as opposed to costume design and polishing the script).

Lost in translation

Just when the film is starting to look like a Jurassic comedy, a whole new breed of villain arrives on the scene. Unfortunately inherited from the TV series, and inexplicably left looking exactly like they did in the 70s, the so-called Sleestaks look like sleep-walking mini-Godzillas, and seem horribly out of place next to the genuinely menacing and much better-looking T-rex. This clashing of 70s homage and 00s special effects is found throughout the film, and makes one wonder whether the crew actually knew what sort of film they wanted to make.

In the end

Despite all the above, at least director Brad Silberling (Casper, Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events) manages to provide a number of scenes where Ferrell and McBride’s off-kilter comedy gets to shine, resulting in some of the less cringe-worthy scenes. Ferrell’s starry-eyed enthusiasm and unfounded savoir-faire perfectly fit his role here, and despite the flaws around him he remains a joy to watch. Apart from that, this is one big, misguided mess.

 

 

Trailer:

http://www.apple.com/trailers/universal/landofthelost/ (High-res QuickTime)

 

Step Brothers

 

• Released Internationally on 25/07/08
• Released in Malta by KRS on 08/10/08

 

Preview (01/09/08)

In a nutshell

Two grown men, who still live at home with their single parent, are forced to move in together when their parents get married.

Why we’re hyped

Ridiculous concepts like this can either fall flat, or provide a barrage of laughs, based on who handles them. In the hands of the men mentioned below, this looks promising.

Who’s in it?

Will Ferrell can now boast a string of insane comedies perfectly suited to his bizarre humour, as well as a much-lauded ‘serious’ performance in 2006’s Stranger than Fiction. Here he teams up with John C. Reilly, who sparred with him in Talladega Nights, and they both look the part perfectly – bright-eyed mummy’s boys who just found a new best-friend, albeit roughly forty years old. The ubiquitous Judd Apatow produces, whilst Ferrell and Reilly themselves both contributed to the story and script. Adam McKay (Anchorman, Talladega Nights) directs.

 

Review (09/09/08)

The eyes have it

The promotional poster (see trailer link below) says most of what you need to know about this film. That child-like awe and playfulness is seen on their faces for most of the film. Ferrell and Reilly have crafted these characters themselves, and they dive into them with all the wide-eyed wonder one would expect from 40-year olds who still live like teenagers. The two play out the concept with great enthusiasm, and it’s hilarious to watch them go from teenage tantrum to geeky amazement as they sleepwalk through their direction-less lives. They fit the part so wonderfully, that it’s actually during the later scenes when they finally act grown up that they seem a bit awkward.

Fun plot, odd extras

Fun as the main concept may be, it was never going to last over ninety minutes. Unfortunately, the necessary padding doesn’t work as well as Ferrell and Reilly’s chemistry. The scenes with Ferrell’s successful brother and his wife tend to grate at times, as does the relationship with and between the two parents in question.

Moments of merriment

Fortunately, for every low-key gag or uncomfortable moment you have to sit through, there’s another of Ferrell and Reilly’s screwball scenes around the corner. Highlights include their multiple failed job interviews, their confrontation with the local (teenage) bullies, their foray into the music business, and especially their plots to stop the sale of their parents’ house. These two are a joy to watch.

 

 

Trailer:

http://www.apple.com/trailers/sony_pictures/stepbrothers/ (High-res QuickTime)