Jump to content

The Other Guys

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This article is about the film. For other uses, see The Other Guys (disambiguation).

The Other Guys
Theatrical release poster
Directed byAdam McKay
Written by
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyOliver Wood
Edited byBrent White
Music byJon Brion
Production
companies
Distributed bySony Pictures Releasing[1]
Release dates
  • August 2, 2010 (2010-08-02) (New York City)
  • August 6, 2010 (2010-08-06) (United States)
Running time
107 minutes[2]
CountryUnited States[1]
LanguageEnglish
Budget$85–100 million[3][4]
Box office$170.9 million[5]

The Other Guys is a 2010 American buddy cop action comedy film directed by Adam McKay, who co-wrote it with Chris Henchy. It stars Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg with Eva Mendes, Michael Keaton, Steve Coogan, Ray Stevenson, Samuel L. Jackson and Dwayne Johnson in supporting roles.[6]

This film is the fourth of five collaborations between Ferrell and McKay, following Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004), Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006), and Step Brothers (2008), and followed by Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues (2013). The Other Guys is the only one not to be co-written by Ferrell. It is also the first of three collaborations between Ferrell and Wahlberg, who later reunited in Daddy's Home (2015) and Daddy's Home 2 (2017).

The film was released in the United States on August 6, 2010. It was well received by critics[3] and grossed $170 million worldwide.

Plot

[edit]

After mistakenly shooting Derek Jeter at the World Series, hot-tempered NYPD detective Terry Hoitz is partnered with mild-mannered forensic accountant Allen Gamble. Both are ridiculed by their peers, who idolize detectives Chris Danson and P. K. Highsmith, considered New York City's best cops despite the major collateral damage they cause catching petty criminals.

After Danson and Highsmith fall to their deaths jumping off a building during a rooftop chase, other detectives including Terry seek to fill their vacancy. Allen, however, is only interested in investigating a scaffolding permit violation by British multi-billionaire Sir David Ershon. Terry grudgingly goes along to arrest Ershon, but they are ambushed by a team of mercenaries led by Roger Wesley who apparently kidnap Ershon.

Terry and Allen talk through the case at Allen's house, where Terry is stunned by Allen's beautiful wife, Sheila, who is a doctor. The two visit Allen's beautiful ex-girlfriend, Christinith, to listen to a voice message from Allen's phone she mistakenly received during Ershon's apparent kidnapping. In the recording, Ershon tells Wesley his plan to cover $32 billion he lost on behalf of his client, Lendl Global, whose CEO, Pamela Boardman, has hired Wesley to ensure that Ershon pays her back.

When Terry and Allen arrive at a small suburban accounting office tied to Ershon, they are nearly killed by a bomb planted by Wesley. Upset by the escalating danger, Allen confides in Terry that he ran a prostitution ring in college but stopped because he developed a dark, alternative personality, "Gator", and wound up in the hospital, where he met Sheila. When Shelia tells Allen that she is pregnant, he briefly reverts back to his Gator personality, and she kicks him out. Meanwhile, Terry unsuccessfully attempts to reconnect with his ex-fiancée Francine, who had left him over his anger issues.

Allen and Terry are forced to hand over their evidence to Ershon's attorney, Don Beaman, who seemingly commits suicide. Angered by their perceived harassment of Ershon, Captain Gene Mauch splits them up, sending Terry to traffic duty and Allen to beat patrol. Allen keeps investigating on his own and learns that Danson and Highsmith died responding to a jewel robbery, which Wesley set up as a diversion in order to break in to another accounting firm tied to Ershon. Allen convinces Terry to rejoin him, and they brief Mauch at his second job at Bed Bath & Beyond; Mauch admits that he has hampered them because Ershon has high-profile connections, but allows them to pursue the case.

Terry and Allen crash an investment meeting to arrest Ershon, where they learn that he has embezzled $32 billion from the NYPD pension fund. Wesley, along with Chechen and Nigerian "investors", open fire on the duo, who escape with Ershon. He confesses that the pension money is already in his account awaiting transfer to Lendl Global the next morning. Realizing that preventing the transfer will be perilous, Allen and Terry reconcile with Sheila and Francine that night.

After evading Wesley, other mercenaries and NYPD officers who believe Allen and Terry have gone rogue, the duo bring Ershon to the bank in time to stop the transfer. Mauch arrives with backup and arrests Ershon for embezzlement and Wesley for multiple counts of murder.

Ershon's arrest leads to a stock market crash and the subsequent federal bailout of Lendl Global. Terry marries Francine, and Allen reunites with Sheila. During the end credits, statistics relate the disparity between the benefits received by companies and financial executives through the TARP bailouts with those of NYPD officers.

Cast

[edit]
  • Will Ferrell as Detective Allen "Gator" Gamble, a mild mannered forensic accountant and Hoitz's partner
  • Mark Wahlberg as Detective Terry Hoitz, Gamble's partner who is loathed by the precinct for accidentally shooting Derek Jeter during the World Series
  • Eva Mendes as Dr. Sheila Ramos Gamble, Allen's wife, a doctor and former Knicks dancer
  • Michael Keaton as Captain Gene Mauch, the precinct's chief of police who also works at Bed Bath & Beyond
  • Steve Coogan as Sir David Ershon, a British billionaire
  • Ray Stevenson as Roger Wesley, Boardman's head of security and a mercenary, sent by her to monitor Ershon's activities
  • Samuel L. Jackson as Detective P.K. Highsmith, a cocky, idolized detective who causes property damage while pursuing minor cases
  • Dwayne Johnson as Detective Christopher Danson, Highsmith's partner
  • Lindsay Sloane as Francine, Hoitz's ex-fiance
  • Natalie Zea as Christinith, Gamble's clingy ex-girlfriend
  • Rob Riggle as Detective Evan Martin, who constantly picks on Hoitz and Gamble
  • Damon Wayans Jr. as Detective Fosse, Martin's partner who also picks on Hoitz and Gamble
  • Viola Harris as Mama Ramos, Sheila's mother
  • Rob Huebel as Officer Watts, a officer in the NYPD
  • Brett Gelman as Hal, Christinith's husband
  • Bobby Cannavale as Jimmy, another detective who picks on Hoitz and Gamble
  • Andy Buckley as Don Beaman, Ershon's attorney
  • Ben Schwartz as Beaman's Assistant
  • Adam McKay as Dirty Mike, a homeless man who led a group who trashed Gamble's car after it was stolen
  • Zach Woods as Douglas, an employee in Ershon's company
  • Chris Gethard as Clerk
  • Zoe Lister-Jones as Therapist
  • Michael Delaney as Bob Littleford
  • Alison Becker as Financial News Anchor
  • Tess Kartel as Brazilian woman
Cameos

Production

[edit]

Adam McKay described the genesis as an "accident, in a way",[7] stemming from a dinner he and Will Ferrell had with Mark Wahlberg. After noticing the actors' chemistry,[8] McKay wrote producer Kevin Messick an email hypothesizing a possible film starring the two, giving a cop film as an example of what he thought would work. Messick suggested developing that idea into a film.[7]

Principal photography for the film began on September 23, 2009, in New York City.[9][10] Additional scenes were filmed in Albany, Westchester[11] and Staten Island, New York.[12]

Practical visual effects work, including the helicopter crash scene, was done by KernerFX.[citation needed]

Stunt coordinator Brad Martin said in a Wall Street Journal interview that for Gamble's car they used three Priuses, including one with a racing engine so large it had to go in the back seat.[13]

Release

[edit]
Mark Wahlberg and Will Ferrell promoting The Other Guys at San Diego Comic-Con, July 2010

In July 2010, Wahlberg and Ferrell appeared at San Diego Comic-Con to promote the film.[14]

During an episode of Big Brother, the house guests competed in a luxury challenge to see an advance screening of the film. Although they weren't actually in the house, both Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg made an on-screen video appearance.[volume & issue needed]

During the August 4, 2010, episode of America's Got Talent, the week's contestants saw an advance screening of the film and met Ferrell and Wahlberg.

Ferrell and Wahlberg also made a cameo appearance on an episode of WWE Raw to promote the film.[volume & issue needed]

During the week leading up to the release date, the film was promoted on TruTV programs, specifically The Smoking Gun Presents: World's Dumbest.... During the Season 2 premier for the MTV reality series Jersey Shore on July 29, 2010, special segments were shown during the commercial breaks of the show's cast broken down on a highway, discussing several movies, as part of a promotional tie-in; with The Other Guys being one of them.

They appeared in on screen advertising on broadcast sports events like MLB and NASCAR.[citation needed]

Reception

[edit]

Box office

[edit]

In its first day of release, The Other Guys grossed $13.1 million, placing first for Friday.[15] It had a large opening weekend take of $35.5 million, placing it at #1 for the weekend of August 6–8, 2010, unseating Inception.[3] The film ended up grossing $119.2 million in North America and $51.7 million in other territories, making for a worldwide total of $170.9 million.[4]

Critical reception

[edit]

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, The Other Guys holds an approval rating of 79% based on 206 reviews, with an average rating of 6.7/10. The site's critical consensus reads: "A clever parody of cop-buddy action-comedies, The Other Guys delivers several impressive action set pieces and lots of big laughs, thanks to the assured comic chemistry between Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg."[16] On Metacritic, the film was assigned a weighted average score of 64 out of 100, based on 35 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[17] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B−" on an A+ to F scale.[18]

The film was praised as "a highly entertaining movie filled with witty dialogue and over-the-top action."[19] Peter Travers of Rolling Stone praised the film, saying, "Don't let anyone spoil the wildly hilarious surprises. Ferrell and Wahlberg will double your fun. Guaranteed."[20] Some critics praised The Other Guys as the best police film of the year, comparing the film to the critically panned Cop Out, with Richard Roeper stating, "Note to Kevin Smith: THIS is how you do a spoof of the buddy-cop genre,"[21] and Stephen Whitty of The Star-Ledger said in his mixed review, "Measured against this year's other police farce—remember Cop Out?—it looks absolutely heroic."[22]

The Other Guys also received the "Best Comedy Film" award for 2010 at the first annual Comedy Awards.[23]

Accolades

[edit]
List of awards and nominations
Year Award Category Recipient(s) and nominee(s) Result
2011 Comedy Awards Best Comedy Film The Other Guys Won
Best Comedy Actor—Film Will Ferrell Nominated
Best Comedy Director—Film Adam McKay Nominated
2011 Teen Choice Awards Choice Movie—Comedy The Other Guys Nominated
Choice Movie Actor—Comedy Will Ferrell Nominated
Choice Movie Actress—Comedy Eva Mendes Nominated
Choice Movie Chemistry Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg Nominated
Choice Movie Hissy Fit Mark Wahlberg Nominated

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c "The Other Guys (2010)". AFI Catalog of Feature Films. Retrieved May 18, 2020.
  2. ^ "THE OTHER GUYS (12A)". British Board of Film Classification. July 22, 2010. Archived from the original on July 25, 2010. Retrieved January 16, 2012.
  3. ^ a b c Fritz, Ben (August 9, 2010). "'The Other Guys' buddies up to No. 1 in box office". Los Angeles Times.
  4. ^ a b "The Other Guys". Box Office Mojo. Internet Movie Database. Retrieved August 7, 2010.
  5. ^ "The Other Guys (2010)". The Numbers. Archived from the original on December 31, 2013. Retrieved December 29, 2013.
  6. ^ "The Other Guys". ReelzChannel. Archived from the original on November 7, 2010. Retrieved June 10, 2010.
  7. ^ a b Eisenberg, Eric (August 5, 2010). "Interview: The Other Guys Director Adam McKay". Cinemablend. Retrieved October 1, 2017.
  8. ^ Leader, Michael (September 16, 2010). "Adam McKay interview: The Other Guys, action comedy, Michael Moore and Will Ferrell". Den of Geek. Retrieved October 1, 2017.
  9. ^ "The Other Guys". ComingSoon. Retrieved June 10, 2010.
  10. ^ "The Other Guys". Current. Archived from the original on October 3, 2012. Retrieved June 10, 2010.
  11. ^ https://hvmag.com/archive/short-cuts/
  12. ^ Barnes, Steve (September 19, 2009). "Albany streets to close for 'Other Guys' movie".
  13. ^ Thomlison, Adam. "TV Q & A". TV Media. Retrieved September 2, 2013.
  14. ^ "COMIC-CON 2010: Mark Wahlberg, Will Ferrell, Eva Mendes take on the fanboys". Los Angeles Times. July 24, 2010. Retrieved March 14, 2023.
  15. ^ Friday Report: 'Other Guys' in Active Duty, 'Inception' Hangs On, Box Office Mojo
  16. ^ "The Other Guys". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved April 29, 2025.
  17. ^ "The Other Guys Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved February 20, 2020.
  18. ^ "Find CinemaScore" (Type "Other Guys" in the search box). CinemaScore. Retrieved February 20, 2020.
  19. ^ Miller, James (January 17, 2011) The Other Guys Tells It Like It Is, Mises Institute
  20. ^ Peter Travers (August 4, 2010). "Rolling Stone Review". Rollingstone.com. Archived from the original on August 6, 2010. Retrieved September 26, 2010.
  21. ^ "Richard Roeper Review". Richardroeper.com. Retrieved September 26, 2010.
  22. ^ Macall Polay (August 6, 2010). "The Other Guys Review". Nj.com. Retrieved September 26, 2010.
  23. ^ "Comedy Awards hail Letterman, Fey and 'South Park'". Baker City Herald. March 26, 2011. Retrieved March 28, 2011.[permanent dead link]
[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to The Other Guys.
Wikiquote has quotations related to The Other Guys.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Other_Guys&oldid=1304537556"