By Jalen Maki
There are few comedic actors working today who are more iconic than Will Ferrell. He’s one of the greatest Saturday Night Live cast members of all-time, and he’s starred in some of the most beloved comedy movies of the last 20-plus years. One Ferrell film that kind of flew under the radar, yet deserves the same praise as his classics, is The Other Guys, Adam McKay’s 2010 buddy cop action comedy.
Before we dive too deep on Ferrell, here’s a quick setup of The Other Guys: Allen Gamble (Ferrell) and Terry Hoitz (Mark Wahlberg) are NYPD officers. The film is aptly named, because they’re also, well, the other guys: while hotshot detectives P.K. Highsmith (Samuel L. Jackson) and Christopher Danson (Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson) are out on the streets, breaking cases open, making headlines, and generally just being super cool, Allen and Terry are stuck in the office. Allen’s a mild-mannered accountant, so desk duty’s right up his alley, but Terry’s a former up-and-comer on the force who’s been partnered with Allen as punishment because he accidentally shot and mildly wounded New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter during the World Series (the story is depicted with the help of a great Jeter cameo and rehashed in a hilarious group therapy scene where Terry’s Yankee fan colleagues could not be less supportive of him). When Highsmith and Danson meet one of the most baffling yet hilarious movie demises ever, there’s a power and coolness vacuum within the precinct, and Terry wants to seize the day by doing some real police work. Allen, however, very much does not want to do that, but they soon (and somewhat accidently) find themselves on a major case: What started as a simple scaffolding permit violation turns out to be a much bigger scandal, and it’s up to Allen and Terry to save the day, despite pressure to drop the case from numerous sources, including their Captain, Gene Mauch (the unbelievable Michael Keaton, who we’ll get to later).
Ok, back to Ferrell. Although it was underappreciated when it first came out, The Other Guys has seemingly grown on people as years have passed, and for Ferrell fans, it’s now considered by many to be in or near the upper echelon of his filmography. I’ll take it a step further: I believe The Other Guys belongs on the Will Ferrell Mount Rushmore.
If you’re putting together a collection of Ferrell’s four greatest films, I think there are three locks, and folks, I love these dang movies. The first is Todd Phillips’ 2003 frat comedy Old School, because Frank the Tank is a legendary Ferrell character; 2004’s Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, also directed by McKay, is one of the most influential comedies of the 21st century, and a favorite movie of mine; and McKay’s 2008 film Step Brothers is adored by Ferrell fans and has more than earned a spot on the monument.
In looking up and down Ferrell’s filmography, there are a few cases you could make for the fourth and final spot on the monument. If you’re counting out The Other Guys, then Elf and Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby are probably the front runners here. Real Ferrell Heads might even try to sell you on 1998’s A Night at the Roxbury or 2007’s Blades of Glory. But the goal of a comedy is to make the audience laugh, and I think The Other Guys is simply funnier than all of these movies.
When you boil it down, The Other Guys is really just a nonstop series of top-tier bits, and it’s hard to believe 1.) The rate at which they’re cranked out; and 2.) How many of them not only work, but crush. It seems like every 30 seconds, there’s a joke that’s possibly the funniest thing ever said in a film. With the movie being chock full of great goofs, it’s super rewarding to revisit, because there’s always a different bit that stands out. The one that killed me on my most recent rewatch involves Allen and Terry going to an Irish pub, where Allen joins a group of men in singing an unbelievably morose shanty (or maybe it’s just a song? Not sure of the correct genre definition here). When Terry asks Allen if he enjoys signing such depressing tunes, Allen replies matter-of-factly, “I do. They’re full of rich history.” For one, the song is hysterical, and two, Allen’s response to Terry’s question is so brilliantly and hilariously simple, and it captures the kind oddness of his essence with laser-focused precision. It’s one of probably 30-plus lines that are just completely tailor-made for Ferrell to deliver. By this stage in their creative partnership, McKay and Ferrell were in a groove, and it absolutely shows throughout The Other Guys. The depressing Irish pub song scene is one of many that proves this.
Speaking of McKay and Ferrell, The Other Guys is their fourth film team-up, following Anchorman, Talladega Nights, and Step Brothers. These are three hilarious, cherished movies. McKay and Ferrell could’ve easily phoned it in and cashed a check on their fourth time around, but they each take their respective craft seriously. The writing is as strong in The Other Guys as any other film they’ve done together, and Ferrell’s turn as more of a straight-man rather than a goofball is one of his best. McKay and Ferrell were one of comedy’s premier partnerships of the 2000s and the 2010s, and The Other Guys is more than just another feather in their caps: it’s among their best collaborations.
The final reason why The Other Guys belongs on the Will Ferrell Mount Rushmore can be summed up in two words: Michael Keaton. My god, what a performance this man delivers. It’s just astoundingly funny. I’m not being hyperbolic when I say it is one of the greatest comedic performances I’ve ever seen. Everything Keaton does as Mauch is talent and genius personified: his physicality, his line deliveries, his facial expressions, heck, his entire demeanor. Another A+ bit is how Mauch, while in serious conversations with Allen and Terry, quotes lyrics from TLC, the ‘90s R&B group. When he tells Terry and Allen, “Don’t go chasin’ waterfalls” while discussing the case, they’re sort of taken aback, and they’re even more confused when, after some understandable questioning about what just happened, Mauch tells them he doesn’t even know who TLC is or what they’re talking about. This happens several times in the movie, and it’s never clear whether Mauch is quoting TLC by accident or intentionally. It’s an incredibly silly running joke, and it certainly could’ve been a whiff, but Keaton is a master, and with the character he’s created, it somehow makes perfect sense. It’s just a god-tier performance. Without Keaton, I’m not sure The Other Guys quite has the juice to claim the fourth Ferrell Rushmore spot, but his turn as Mauch gets it over the hump and onto the monument.
Taking a step back and looking at Ferrell’s four best films, they truly are some of the funniest in recent memory. Few of Ferrell’s contemporaries’ Rushmores could stand up to his, which is testament to his skill and adoration. Ferrell’s legacy will endure for decades to come, and it’s due in no small part to The Other Guys. I truly believe it’s one of Ferrell’s greatest films; I didn’t include it on the monument on a whim. Because when it comes to the Will Ferrell Mount Rushmore, I don’t want no scrubs.
Jalen’s columns, “Movies You Gotta See” and “The Free Play,” can be found online at www.medium.com/@jalenmaki.
Follow Jalen on Letterboxd at www.letterboxd.com/jalenmaki182/ to see what he’s been watching.