I haven’t really liked a Will Ferrell comedy since “Talladega Nights” in 2006; that’s a long time for a comedian whose work I generally enjoy. Barring “Stranger than Fiction” which was more of a romance than a broad comedy and “Step Brothers” which I have yet to see, every Ferrell has been a disappointment in one way or another. “Blades of Glory” was more dumb than funny, “Semi-Pro” was plain dumb and “Land of the Lost” was – well, a monumental disaster.

So in a way, “The Other Guys” is the movie Ferrell is counting on to resurrect his career. So what’s the verdict? In short, “The Other Guys” is the funniest mainstream comedy of the year and arguably Ferrell’s best work since “Anchorman.” While it may not be as good as “Anchorman” or “Old School,” Ferrell’s best comedies, this satire on the buddy cop genre is consistently hilarious and always on point, thanks to fantastic chemistry between Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg, a terrific supporting performance from Michael Keaton, and a plot that is surprisingly poignant for this type of comedy.

Ferrell plays detective Allan Gamble, a dweeby, mild mannered forensic accountant who’d rather sit at his desk filling out the paperwork of other officers rather than go out in the field. His partner Terry Hoitz (Wahlberg) on the other hand, is a hot-headed, trigger-happy cop who got stuck with Gamble after a hilarious accident at a baseball game relegated him to desk duty and earned him the nickname “The Yankee Clipper.” Together, they’re the black sheep of their precinct which also includes their frustrated and long-suffering superior Captain Mauch (Keaton), detectives Martin (Rob Riggle) and Fosse (Damon Wayans Jr.) who constantly bully Gamble, and superstar cops Highsmith (Samuel L. Jackson) and Danson (Dwayne Johnson) who despite being ridiculously irresponsible and comically over-the-top, keep getting rewarded with medals upon medals.

However, after Highsmith and Danson are hilariously “grounded” in the aftermath of an intense bank robbery, Hoitz sees this as a golden opportunity to shine. So when the department gets a call to a scene of a drug-related homicide, Hoitz essentially kidnaps Gamble to the scene of the crime. Unfortunately, they only end up embarrassing themselves even more. But after Gamble persuades Hoitz to join him in looking into a rather silly scaffolding violation case involving a Bernie Madoff-like investor named David Ershon (Steve Coogan), the mismatched pair soon find themselves neck-deep into a corporate scheme that involves the embezzlement of millions of dollars, Australian special forces, and perhaps even the upper-ranks of the police force. But the big question is, “Are the bickering Hoitz and Gamble up to the task?”

“The Other Guys” is the fourth collaboration between writer-directorAdam McKay and Ferrell who also worked together on the now classic “Anchorman,” smash hit “Talladega Nights” and the aforementioned “Step Brothers.” Though it may never come close to rivaling “Anchorman,” it certainly is on par with the duo’s NASCAR satire as their second-best collaboration. While it may come off as another tired buddy cop comedy from the trailers, what makes the film such a pleaure to watch is the chemistry between Ferrell and Wahlberg who are simply terrific together. Ferrell who has made a career taking on man-child roles actually does something different here for a change. This time, he’s more relaxed, soft-spoken and more of the straight man, only resorting to his screaming mad-man shtick in a couple of scenes late into the picture. This too is understandable once we learn about Gamble’s checkered history through an outrageous college flashback.

Thus, for most of the film, the humor is derived from dry comic banter with Wahlberg who is more of the wild one, always yelling and losing his mind over Gamble’s relaxed attitude and "feminine" behavior. An extended sequence where Hoitz and Gamble try to one-up each other comparing themselves to a lion and tuna fish had the audience I watched the movie with howling with laughter. Wahlberg, known for his tough guy roles, is quite good as the brash Hoitz and does his best comedy work since his hilarious performances in “I Heart Huckabees” and "The Happening" (just kidding about that last one). He's especially good in a bit where he whines about being trapped like a peacock and also in a bizarre bit where he shows off his surprising impressive ballet dancing skills.

While the chemistry and banter between the two actors are the film’s highlight, there are other stand-out sequences that’ll have audiences in stitches. Along with Gamble’s outrageous flashback, there’s a bizarre but superb, slow-motion drinking binge sequence set to a Black Eyed Peas track, a terrific twist on the obligatory cop fight sequence and a running joke about Gamble’s hot wife (Eva Mendes) and his complete obliviousness to this. Additionally, for being a comedy, the action sequences are extremely well shot. It really says something about the quality of action movies today when the action in this comedy is more believable than those in movies like “The A-Team” and “Prince of Persia.”

Among the supporting cast members, Michael Keaton is hands-down the best in show as the frustrated police captain who has to deal with the duo’s incompetence and also make ends meet with a second job as a Bad, Bath and Beyond manager. Along with his scene-stealing voice performance as Ken in “Toy Story 3,” Keaton, an extremely under-rated comedic talent, has been having one of the best summers of his career. Hopefully with this renewed exposure, we get to see him more often in high profile comedies instead of lame Lindsey Lohan family movies. Samuel L. Jackson and Dwayne Johnson also get plenty of laughs as the over-the-top cops who live and breathe chaos. They also feature prominently in arguably the film’s funniest joke.

While “The Other Guys” is a solid comedy, it does have its fair share of problems. For one, the movie overstays its welcome by going on for far too long. Because of this, many of the film’s running jokes start to lose their impact by the third act. A good 20 minutes could have been cut out to make the film tighter. Additionally, the plot, while poignant for the age we live in, is a bit too convoluted. Thus when the film shifts its attention from the comedy to the detective element, the movie loses steam. Also, Steve Coogan is once again wasted in a thankless role as the corporate criminal wanted by everyone.

VERDICT: Though it may not be as good as“Anchorman,” “The Other Guys” is another fantastic comedy from writer-director Adam McKay and star Will Ferrell who is back in top form here after a string of disappointing comedies. Thanks to fantastic chemistry with fellow star Mark Wahlberg, a terrific supporting performance from Michael Keaton, strong action sequences and hilarious comedic banter between the two leads, “The Other Guys” stakes claim as the year’s funniest mainstream comedy.

GRADE: B+

THE OTHER GUYS
Directed by: Adam McKay
Written by: Adam McKay, Chris Henchy
Starring: Will Ferrell, Mark Wahlberg, Samuel L. Jackson, Dwayne Johnson, Eva Mendes, Michael Keaton
Rated: PG-13 (or crude and sexual content, language, violence, and some drug material)