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MOVIE INFO

Director:
Adam McKay
Cast:
Will Ferrell, Mark Wahlberg, Samuel L. Jackson, Dwayne Johnson, Eva Mendes, Michael Keaton, Derek Jeter
Writing Credits:
Adam McKay, Chris Henchy

Synopsis:
Misfit NYPD detectives Gamble and Hoitz (Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg) are sentenced to life behind the desk. They hate each other and the monotony of their meaningless jobs, as they’re forced to live in the shadow of the two biggest and most badass cops on the force (Samuel L. Jackson and Dwayne Johnson). But when those guys go down for the count, opportunity knocks for Gamble and Hoitz. Stumbling onto what could be one of the biggest crimes in years, can The Other Guys step up their game to solve the case without killing each other and destroying NYC in the process?

Box Office:
Budget
$100 million.
Opening Weekend
$35.543 million on 3651 screens.
Domestic Gross
$119.219 million.

MPAA:
Rated PG-13

DISC DETAILS
Presentation:
Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1
Audio:
English DTS-HD MA 5.1
French DTS-HD MA 5.1
English Audio Descriptive Service
Subtitles:
English
French
Spanish
Closed-captioned
Supplements Subtitles:
None Runtime: 107 min.
Price: $19.98
Release Date: 7/16/2013

Bonus:
• None


PURCHASE @ AMAZON.COM

EQUIPMENT
Panasonic TC-P60VT60 60-Inch 1080p 600Hz 3D Smart Plasma HDTV; Sony STR-DG1200 7.1 Channel Receiver; Panasonic DMP-BD60K Blu-Ray Player using HDMI outputs; Michael Green Revolution Cinema 6i Speakers (all five); Kenwood 1050SW 150-watt Subwoofer.

RELATED REVIEWS


The Other Guys [Blu-Ray 4K] (2010)

Reviewed by Colin Jacobson (April 11, 2014)

Back in 2008, Step Brothers became my favorite comedy of the summer. Another collaboration from director Adam McKay and actor Will Ferrell, I hoped that 2010’s The Other Guys would repeat that feat. Alas, this wasn’t to be, as Guys proved fitfully entertaining at best.

New York police officers Highsmith (Samuel L. Jackson) and Danson (Dwayne Johnson) ride high on the hog as the city’s baddest cops. Sure, they cause massive damage wherever they go, but they’re as tough and brash as they come.

Which leaves a massive void when they both die in the line of duty. Stuck in a go-nowhere desk job due to prior transgressions, Detective Terry Hoitz (Mark Wahlberg) wants to push the envelope and take over where Highsmith and Danson left off, but his partner Allen Gamble (Ferrell) prefers the low-risk, low-excitement life he leads.

Inadvertently, Allen sends them down the path his partner craves. Allen comes from an accounting background, and he seeks the arrest of David Ershon (Steve Coogan), an investor who didn’t get the building permits he needed. They apprehend Ershon but matters quickly go awry and become quite complicated as the cops end up in the middle of a complex case way beyond their normal scope.

Like I mentioned at the start of this review, I really looked forward to Other Guys and rushed to see it when it opened. Alas, the film disappointed me, and I can’t say that additional screenings changed my opinion. The movie delivers moderate laughs, but it never approaches the heights of Step Brothers - or even Talladega Nights, the prior collaboration between McKay and Ferrell.

It doesn’t take long to figure out one possible reason things went wrong: the change in Ferrell’s comedic partner. While he worked with Wahlberg here, Ferrell got to bounce off of John C. Reilly in the earlier films. And bounce they did, as the pair demonstrated excellent chemistry and blended to make those movies much funnier than otherwise would’ve been the case.

No such sizzle comes from the combination of Wahlberg and Ferrell. Honestly, I can never quite decide what to make of Wahlberg as an actor. Although I think he has talent, he displays his skills in an awfully erratic fashion, and it’s hard to pin down the kind of projects that best suit him. To date, I suspect his best performance came in The Departed, a role for which he earned a deserved Oscar nomination. That’s not the only time I’ve seen good work from Wahlberg, but more often than not, he provides turns that lack much personality or flair.

In Other Guys, Wahlberg brings us a perfectly acceptable performance, but he nonetheless acts as a liability just because “perfectly acceptable” doesn’t help move the movie along in a strong fashion. While I think Wahlberg demonstrates some decent comedic chops, he seems out of his element up against the talents we find here. Other Guys comes chock full of fine funny men, so Wahlberg sticks out; he occasionally gives his lines an amusing twist, but too often, he doesn’t manage to deliver the appropriate feel.

Wahlberg also fails to present much chemistry with Ferrell, especially when compared with the Reilly/Ferrell connection. No, Reilly shouldn’t have played Terry – he’d be woefully inappropriate as someone with the detective’s borderline supercop skills – but I’d like to see some who better mixes comedy and action. While Wahlberg doesn’t become a true liability, he also can’t do anything to elevate the material.

This leaves Ferrell nearly in a vacuum, though the supporting actors help. Coogan makes his handful of scenes little comic winners, and I mostly like Michael Keaton’s take on the police captain. I hate the running TLC gag, but Keaton manages to offer his own funny twist on the part and brings much needed life to his moments.

Many others add pizzazz as well, but the script lets them down. Other Guys comes with an almost insanely complicated plot that serves no purpose other than to confuse the audience. As an animated sequence that accompanies the end credits illustrates, the filmmakers clearly want to make a comment on the current state of corruption in the business world.

That’s all well and good, but would it have been difficult to make a less convoluted story? I don’t think so; I see no reason why the movie needs such a twisty, messy, nearly incomprehensible plot. It simply muddies the water and makes it harder to enjoy the comedy; we’re too busy trying to understand the hubbub to simply laugh.

Though I’m not sure how many laughs would result anyway. Other Guys provides quite a few lines and gags that feel like they should be hilarious – why do so few of them provoke actual chuckles? As I watch the film, I often think that something is amusing but the reaction rarely goes beyond the intellectual; I can respect the potential comedy but I can’t locate the “X”-factor that makes the moment gut busting.

Or even chuckle worthy most of the time. The Other Guys offers a pleasant diversion, and it presents enough mild amusement to make it an enjoyable time. It simply doesn’t go beyond that, as it lacks the comedic power it aspires to portray.


The Blu-ray Grades: Picture A-/ Audio A-/ Bonus B

The Other Guys appears in an aspect ratio of approximately 2.40:1 on this Blu-Ray Disc. For the film’s second Blu-ray release, it comes as part of Sony’s “Mastered in 4K” line. What the heck does that mean? Here’s what Sony’s press release promises us:

“’Mastered in 4K’ Blu-ray releases will feature titles sourced from pristine 4K masters and presented at high-bitrate 1080p resolution, with expanded color showcasing more of the wide range of rich color contained in the original source. When upscaled via the Sony 4K Ultra HD TVs, these discs serve as an ideal way for consumers to experience near-4K picture quality. ‘Mastered in 4K’ Blu-ray Discs can be played on all existing Blu-ray Disc players.”

Old DVD fans will remember Sony’s “Superbit” program, as it came with similar promises. Superbit DVDs and “Mastered in 4K” BDs jettison all supplements to theoretically optimize picture/audio quality.

No problems with sharpness ever materialized. From start to finish, the flick offered distinctive, concise visuals; expect no issues with softness in this tight image. Jagged edges and shimmering failed to appear, and edge haloes also remained absent. Don’t expect any print flaws, as the flick stayed clean and fresh.

Guys usually opted for the chilly blues typical of the cop flicks it spoofed. A few scenes offered a different palette, but the cold tones were the most prominent. Within those parameters, the colors were good; they looked as full as they could. Blacks came across as deep and tight, while shadows seemed smooth and clear. All in all, the image was quite strong.

Despite its comedic roots, the cop movie aspect of Other Guys allowed its DTS-HD MA 5.1 soundtrack to prosper. The opening scene allowed the mix to blast to life, and many others followed along the same lines. Cars screeched around the spectrum, explosions filled the room, and gunshots sizzled from spot to spot. All of these moments filled out the spectrum in a convincing, involving manner that used the five speakers well. Music added good stereo presence, and this turned into a smooth, active soundscape.

Audio quality completed the package well. A few lines showed a smidgen of edginess, but most of the lines appeared concise and crisp. Music showed nice range and punch, while effects came across in a strong manner. Those elements seemed vivid and dynamic, and they lacked distortion or other problems. I felt consistently pleased with this exciting track.

How did this 4K Blu-ray compare to the 2010 Blu-ray? Both seemed pretty similar. Visuals might’ve been a smidgen tighter here, but the original release already looked great. Audio seemed virtually identical. The 4K delivered a nice presentation, but I didn’t think it offered a clear step up when compared to the prior disc.

As stated earlier, the 4K line leaves out any extras. That means the commentary and other useful elements get the boot here.

Although it provides mild entertainment, The Other Guys winds up as a disappointment. Despite a lot of talent involved and some scenarios that seem ripe to delight, it falls flat too much of the time and simply lacks the expected wit. The Blu-ray provides excellent picture and audio along with zero bonus features. If you don’t care about supplements, go with this 4K release, but I don’t think it offers an obvious improvement over its predecessor.

To rate this film, visit the original review of THE OTHER GUYS

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