The Other Guys

Plot

Detective Allen Gamble (Will Ferrell) is a mild-mannered forensic accountant. Hot-tempered detective Terry "Yankee Clipper" Hoitz (Mark Wahlberg) has been partnered with Allen ever since he mistakenly shot Derek Jeter during the World Series. Allen and Terry receive no respect from the other officers, particularly detectives Martin (Rob Riggle) and Fosse (Damon Wayans, Jr.). All but Terry idolize cocky detectives Chris Danson (Dwayne Johnson) and P. K. Highsmith (Samuel L. Jackson), who are considered the city's best policemen even though they frequently cause millions of dollars in property damage catching petty criminals. During a pursuit, Danson and Highsmith leap to their deaths after misjudging their ability to survive a fall, which causes the precinct to wonder why they did it and who will take their place.

Allen and Terry investigate a scaffolding permit violation by multi-billionaire Sir David Ershon (Steve Coogan) but wind up uncovering a much bigger plot by Ershon to cover his losses to his client Lendl Global. Lendl CEO Pamela Boardman (Anne Heche) hires a team of mercenaries led by Roger Wesley (Ray Stevenson) to make sure Ershon pays her back.

During their investigation, Allen confides in Terry about how he ran a college dating service in his past, though he denies that he was a ever pimp. When they both get to Allen's house, Terry develops a slight crush on Allen's future wife Sheila (Eva Mendes), while not believing she is truly with Allen because of her beauty. When they visit Allen's ex-girlfriend, Christinth, to gain their police evidence, she and her husband wants him to have sex with her. When Sheila tells Allen that she is pregnant, he reverts back to his old dark personality, and she kicks him out of their house. Meanwhile, Terry unsuccessfully attempts to reconnect with his ex-fiancée Francine (Lindsay Sloane), who had walked out on him due to his furious attitude.

Their investigation comes to a halt when Ershon's attorney, Don Beaman (Andy Buckley), learns of Ershon's plan to cover his losses, leading Wesley to kill him and make it look like a suicide. Angered at their lack of progress, Capt. Gene Mauch (Michael Keaton) splits up Allen and Terry, sending Terry to traffic duty and Allen to beat patrol. Despite Terry's anger, Allen still works the case on his own. After Allen learns that Danson and Highsmith died investigating a staged theft during which Wesley broke into an accounting firm next door, he finds credible evidence and earns his gun back from Mauch. Allen then convinces Terry to rejoin him. They meet Capt. Mauch at Bed Bath & Beyond, his second job, where the police captain admits he has been holding off on the case because Ershon has high-profile connections that could ruin him, and he allows them to finish the case off-the-books.

They go to an investment meeting Ershon is having and realize that the $32 billion Ershon seeks is really coming from the New York Police Department pension fund. They escape with Ershon to his private apartment, and Ershon tells them that the money for the pension fund is already in his account, ready to be transferred. Later that night, Allen and Terry finally reconcile with their loved ones. Allen apologizes to Sheila with her mother as a secret communication system and so she welcomes her husband back in. Terry also apologizes to Francine for letting his anger rule his life.

The next morning, they drive to the bank to stop the transfer, evading Wesley's team, groups of Chechen and Nigerian investors to whom Ershon owes money, and police officers who are told Allen and Terry have gone rogue. They reach the bank and halt the transfer. Wesley arrives, and as a delaying tactic, shoots both officers and Ershon in their arms. Mauch finally arrives with police backup, rescuing the two and arresting Ershon for his 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 his wife. The narrator (Ice-T) finishes off by stating that the true heroes are the everyday people who work to make a difference, not the ones who appear in the newspaper or on TV.

Cast

Production

The end credits are accompanied by a series of visual displays of the magnitudes, methods, and principal actors of various licit and illicit financial doings of the financial crisis, such as the Bernie Madoff Ponzi scheme, Goldman Sachs, AIG, or the Troubled Asset Relief Program.

Principal photography for the film began on September 23, 2009 in New York City, with additional scenes filmed in Albany and Staten Island, New York.

Practical visual effects work, including the helicopter crash scene, was done by KernerFX.

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.

Promotion

In July 2010, both Wahlberg and Ferrell appeared at the San Diego Comic-Con International to promote the film.

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.

During the August 4, 2010 episode of America's Got Talent, the week's contestants saw an advance screening of the film and got to meet both Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg.

Ferrell and Wahlberg also made a cameo appearance on an episode of WWE Raw to promote the film.

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.

Box office

In its first day of release, The Other Guys grossed $13,124,233, placing first for Friday. It had a large opening weekend take of $35,543,162, placing it at #1 for the weekend of August 6–8, 2010, unseating Inception. The film ended up grossing $119,219,978 in North America and $51,212,949 in other territories, making for a worldwide total of $170,432,927.

Critical reaction

The Other Guys received a 78% approval rating from 198 surveyed critics on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes; the site's critical consensus reads: "While not the best collaboration between Will Ferrell and Adam Mckay, The Other Guys delivers bursts of comedy during a summer devoid of laughs." It has been called "a highly entertaining movie filled with witty dialogue and over-the-top action." 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." 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," 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."

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

Sequel

In the extended DVD edition, the film concludes with a second cameo appearance by Jeter, disguised as a homeless man, who hands Terry and Allen a manila folder containing details on "their next case", providing a set-up for a sequel. Director Adam McKay stated in an interview with MTV that if the film does a good job at the box office and a fanbase grows, then a sequel could be possible.