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THE OTHER GUYSMovie Reviews
Action comedy about two mismatched police detectives and partners, forever in the shadow of two macho hero cops, who finally see a way to break out of the background. Cast:Will Ferrell, Mark Wahlberg, Eva Mendes, Samuel L. Jackson, Michael Keaton, Steve CooganDirector:Adam McKayRelease Date:August 6, 2010DVD Release:December 14, 2010From:Columbia PicturesRating:PG-13Length:1 hr 47 min
The Other Guys played to good reviews. • Michael Rechtshaffen wrote in the Hollywood Reporter, "Just when it seemed like the once-robust buddy-cop action-comedy was going to require a do-not-resuscitate order, along comes Will Ferrell and Adam McKay..." • And Liam Lacey wrote in the Toronto Globe & Mail, "A smart little comedy, until an action flick crashes the party." More Reviews Below...
The Other Guys Positive Reviews (51 Reviews, reviews below)
Alynda Wheat, People: VERY GOOD(cg) "Like the stumblebum cops it features, 'The Other Guys' makes every possible mistake but still comes out a winner.... everyone is pretty funny..."(See all of Alynda Wheat's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 179 words, 08/05/10
Richard Corliss, Time: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...like some silly summer song that can't be shaken from the mind, this is a catchy enterprise, no better than it tries to be and no less funny."(See all of Richard Corliss's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 737 words, 08/06/10
Christy Lemire, Associated Press: VERY GOOD(cg) "...has a refreshingly weird, kinky streak throughout... an unexpected kick.... the majority of it works.... the action sequences are played totally straight."(See all of Christy Lemire's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 659 words, 08/05/10
Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...as antic and raucous and fun as any of Farrell's previous screen outings... It's Ferrell's richest riff yet on the comedy of conflicted aggression."(See all of Owen Gleiberman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 787 words, 08/06/10
James Berardinelli, Reel Views: VERY GOOD(cg) "...funnier and more energetic than anything Ferrell has produced in quite some time.... for the first time in several years, he is up to the task..."(See all of James Berardinelli's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 807 words, 08/04/10
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone: VERY GOOD(cg) "...sit back and laugh your ass off.... Ferrell is effortlessly uproarious. And watching hardass Wahlberg, in his first starring shot at farce, shake his sillies out is not to be missed."(See all of Peter Travers's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 193 words, 08/06/10
Claudia Puig, USA Today: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "The pairing of Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg has its giddy moments, but the buddy-cop parody suffers as it bogs down in unfunny police procedures and shoot-'em-up action."(See all of Claudia Puig's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 445 words, 08/06/10
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NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (14 Reviews)
A.O. Scott, New York Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "Not confident enough to be a loose, nutty spoof of macho cop action movies, it also tries to be one of those movies more or less in earnest."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 883 words, 08/06/10
Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...hits and misses.... begins and ends with gratifyingly wild, if suitably inane, car chases. You may be surprised by how fast a Prius can fly."(See all of Elizabeth Weitzman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 346 words, 08/06/10
Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: VERY GOOD "There is something so richly subversive, so vicariously appealing about turning accountants into action heroes... clever and funny from the first frame."(See all of Betsy Sharkey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 818 words, 08/06/10
Kyle Smith, New York Post: MODERATE(cg) "...the movie forgets it's a comedy and starts burrowing into a convoluted but uninteresting financial scandal involving an evil capitalist played by Steve Coogan."(See all of Kyle Smith's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 658 words, 08/06/10
Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...a mixed bag, worth sorting through for things like the tale of the lion and the tuna, which barely makes sense as you're hearing it."(See all of Michael Phillips's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 549 words, 08/06/10
Rafer Guzman, New York Newsday: VERY GOOD(cg) "...everyone is doing what he does best, including a terrific Michael Keaton as a harried police chief and Eva Mendes as Allen's incomprehensibly gorgeous wife."(See all of Rafer Guzman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 284 words, 08/06/10
David Edelstein, New York Magazine: GOOD " 'The sound of your piss hitting the urinal -- it sounds feminine.' Every time the movie seems to be settling into a formula groove, a line like that pops out..."(See all of David Edelstein's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 843 words, 08/05/10
Nick Pinkerton, Village Voice/LA Weekly: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...loose and funny.... for a while, the gears catch.... more hectic than antic, and somebody didn't pack enough comedy for this long trip..."(See all of Nick Pinkerton's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 665 words, 08/04/10
Josep Parera, La Opinion: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Lo que en un principio era una comedia simpática e intrascendente, termina convirtiéndose en un producto olvidable y, de nuevo, intrascendente."(See all of Josep Parera's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 360 words, 08/06/10
Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer: MODERATE(cg) "There's a fine line between stupid comedy that's actually pretty smart and stupid comedy that's just dumb, and 'The Other Guys' crosses the line..."(See all of Steven Rea's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 475 words, 08/06/10
Randy Cordova, Arizona Republic: VERY GOOD(cg) "...a surprising, laugh-out-loud take on the old buddy-cop genre. It's sneaky and smartly funny, offering an almost perfect balance of action and comedy."(See all of Randy Cordova's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 435 words, 08/06/10
Chris Vognar, Dallas Morning News: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...plenty smart about being stupid... It may be a formula, but it's more than welcome at a time when so many comedies are content to chase condescension with phony uplift."(See all of Chris Vognar's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 671 words, 08/06/10
Wesley Morris, Boston Globe: VERY GOOD(cg) "...works because it feels like its two stars have something they need to get off their chests. Ferrell is experimenting with restraint. His partner clowns around with rage."(See all of Wesley Morris's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 932 words, 08/06/10
Clint O'Connor, Cleveland Plain-Dealer: VERY GOOD(cg) "...provides lots of low-rent laughs and Ferrell and Wahlberg are good sparring partners, worth hanging with for a while."(See all of Clint O'Connor's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 432 words, 08/06/10
Mike Russell, Portland Oregonian: EXCELLENT(cg) "...epically absurd, slightly overlong, pretty funny... Adam McKay is back to trying something wildly ambitious with his comedy, and largely succeeding."(See all of Mike Russell's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 673 words, 08/06/10
Joe Williams, St. Louis Post-Dispatch: OUTSTANDING(cg) "Wahlberg, who was a revelation as a hotheaded fireman in 'I Heart Huckabees,' repeats the feat of poking holes in a heroic persona."(See all of Joe Williams's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 324 words, 08/06/10
Steve Persall, St. Petersburg Times: EXCELLENT(cg) "There's no better way to spoof standard police movie procedure than doing the car chases, rooftop leaps, shootouts and precinct politics..."(See all of Steve Persall's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 589 words, 08/06/10
Tom Long, Detroit News: EXCELLENT(cg) "...as funny as Ferrell is -- in truth, this is one of his most even and consistent comedies -- Wahlberg is even funnier playing the straight man."(See all of Tom Long's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 576 words, 08/06/10
Connie Ogle, Miami Herald: VERY GOOD(cg) "...generates some of its best jokes quietly in the background or as quick-hit throwaway lines, while other terrific gags are defiantly over the top."(See all of Connie Ogle's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 423 words, 08/06/10
ALTERNATIVE/INDIE PRESS (9 Reviews)
Nick Pinkerton, Village Voice/LA Weekly: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...loose and funny.... for a while, the gears catch.... more hectic than antic, and somebody didn't pack enough comedy for this long trip..."(See all of Nick Pinkerton's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 665 words, 08/04/10
Peter Keough, Boston Phoenix: VERY GOOD(cg) "Will Ferrell returns to form as Detective Allen Gamble, a NYPD numbers cruncher and desk jockey who gets odd-coupled with Mark Wahlberg's gung-ho loser..."(See all of Peter Keough's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 157 words, 08/05/10
Todd Gilchrist, Cinematical: OUTSTANDING "...offers one of Ferrell's all-time best performances, probably McKay's most cohesive film to date, and one of the most all-around satisfying comedies in years."(See all of Todd Gilchrist's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 971 words, 08/05/10
Nick Schager, Slant: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...a narrative that generates hilarity not from its main storyline, but only from standalone incidents and exchanges, inherently scattershot."(See all of Nick Schager's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 779 words, 08/04/10
Curt Holman, Atlanta Creative Loafing: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "The cop clichés give Ferrell and director Adam McKay plenty to riff on for a while, but once the good gags peter out, the lumbering action scenes prove less than arresting."(See all of Curt Holman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 654 words, 08/04/10
MaryAnn Johanson, Flick Filosopher: EXCELLENT(cg) "Not every bit works, but even the bits that don't fail honestly, not out of overstretching desperation on the part of the filmmakers... There's even an SEC joke that works."(See all of MaryAnn Johanson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 900 words, 08/06/10
HIGHBROW PRESS (6 Reviews)
Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: GOOD "...loud, raunchy, semicoherent and stuffed to the bursting point with heavy weaponry and car chases... can also be very funny, albeit fitfully..."(See all of Joe Morgenstern's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 437 words, 08/06/10
A.O. Scott, New York Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "Not confident enough to be a loose, nutty spoof of macho cop action movies, it also tries to be one of those movies more or less in earnest."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 883 words, 08/06/10
David Edelstein, NPR Fresh Air: GOOD "The latest Ferrell-McKay collaboration isn't in the league of their last few.... [but] I look back over my notes on the movie and find myself choking with laughter."(See all of David Edelstein's reviews...)(Listen to the full review...) 355 seconds, 08/06/10
Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: VERY GOOD "There is something so richly subversive, so vicariously appealing about turning accountants into action heroes... clever and funny from the first frame."(See all of Betsy Sharkey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 818 words, 08/06/10
Josh Levin, Slate: FAIR "...just a bit too much formula and not quite enough insane-asylum lunacy.... Ferrell and Wahlberg struggle with the constraints of a well-worn genre."(See all of Josh Levin's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 671 words, 08/05/10
Andrew O'Hehir, Salon: VERY GOOD "...a mixed bag with plenty of gags that fall flat, not a comic masterpiece. But it's got tremendous zing, a sense of mischief and a big heart..."(See all of Andrew O'Hehir's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,039 words, 08/05/10
MOVIE INDUSTRY (6 Reviews)
Peter Debruge, Daily Variety: MODERATE "McKay is obviously having a blast staging explosions, chases and even an epic Mexican standoff... it bogs down in an unnecessarily complicated evil-investor plot."(See all of Peter Debruge's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 806 words, 08/01/10
Michael Rechtshaffen, Hollywood Reporter: EXCELLENT "Just when it seemed like the once-robust buddy-cop action-comedy was going to require a do-not-resuscitate order, along comes Will Ferrell and Adam McKay..."(See all of Michael Rechtshaffen's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 478 words, 08/01/10
Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: VERY GOOD "There is something so richly subversive, so vicariously appealing about turning accountants into action heroes... clever and funny from the first frame."(See all of Betsy Sharkey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 818 words, 08/06/10
Tim Grierson, Cinema 24/7: GOOD(cg) "A likeable romp... sporadically funny though star Will Ferrell and his frequent collaborator-director Adam McKay haven't fully capitalized on a fertile comedic conceit."(See all of Tim Grierson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 971 words, 08/03/10
A.O. Scott, New York Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "Not confident enough to be a loose, nutty spoof of macho cop action movies, it also tries to be one of those movies more or less in earnest."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 883 words, 08/06/10
Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: GOOD "...loud, raunchy, semicoherent and stuffed to the bursting point with heavy weaponry and car chases... can also be very funny, albeit fitfully..."(See all of Joe Morgenstern's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 437 words, 08/06/10
14.3 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
The Other Guys's reviews are separated by an average 14.3 percentage points. The norm for this measure is 18.4 percentage points. Less than 18.4 indicates more consistent reviews; greater than 18.4 indicates more mixed reviews. In the chart below, each dot represents a review, with the dots at the top more positive than the dots at the bottom. From left to right, the dots represent reviews in big, bigger and biggest publications. Roll over each dot for more detail.
The Other Guys (51 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:The Other Guys's reviews cover 94.0% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 29,239 words involume (average is 20,194 words). Length:The film's reviews average 573 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
The Other Guys Coverage, Volume & Length (51 Reviews, reviews below)
Reviews Broke 9.8 Hours Before Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
The Other Guys's reviews on average broke 9.8 hours before opening. Norm for this measure is 1.2 hours before. The chart below shows reviews on opening day and the days before and after opening; the left side is earlier and the right side is later. The red bars extending above the horizontal mid-line represent more positive reviews, and the red bars extending below represent more negative reviews. The white space/red bar in the middle is The Other Guys's opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
The Other Guys (51 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
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