The Other Guys
2010 · Directed by Adam McKay
Original language: English
- comedy
- action
- crime
The story
Unlike their heroic counterparts on the force, desk-bound NYPD detectives Gamble and Hoitz garner no headlines as they work day to day. When a seemingly minor case turns out to be a big deal, the two cops get the opportunity to finally prove to their comrades that they have the right stuff.
What it’s like
Bright, flat daylight over the New York boroughs, office fluorescents humming in beige cubicle rooms, and a glossy digital finish that keeps every surface crisp and every explosion cheerfully overexposed. The camera is restless: quick handheld zooms, jump-cuts into talking-head asides, and sudden slow-motion for absurd set pieces, all cut to a loud, bouncy pop-rock and synth score that rarely lets up. The sound is busy, with car horns, sirens and shouted banter layered over one another. Its vibe is brash, sarcastic and goofy, the kind of rowdy fun best suited to a lazy Saturday night with friends or a no-brain laugh after a long week. Pacing is fast and jokey, with the emotional register leaning on mock-serious narration and deadpan one-liners rather than tenderness. Its odd-couple detectives, one stiff and resentful, the other hungry for a chance to matter, move from mutual irritation toward an unlikely partnership. The violence is cartoonish and frequent, including gunfire, crashes, falls and fistfights, but it reads as slapstick rather than grim; there is some crude sexual humour and profanity throughout. For people who want loud, irreverent buddy comedy and don't mind bluntness.
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