The Other Guys (PG-13, 2010)

In the criminal justice system explored in THE OTHER GUYS, the people are sometimes represented by bean-counting police officers and their deeply frustrated partners: These are their stories. (Cue droll voiceover by Law & Order veteran Ice-T.) Allen Gamble (Will Ferrell) is an NYPD forensic accountant who’d rather file paperwork than be caught in the thick of action. His partner, Terry Hoitz (Mark Wahlberg), is a “peacock” who just wants to “fly,” but he’s been sidelined after erroneously shooting at none other than Derek Jeter. When the precinct loses its superstar cops (Samuel L. Jackson and Dwayne Johnson) in an oddball accident, a vacuum is created. Hoitz wants to be a hero, but Gamble doesn’t want to, well, gamble. But a seemingly nerdy case involving a famous finance whiz (Steve Coogan) and purloined billions just may get Hoitz the moment in the sun he’s seeking -- and Gamble a familiar taste of the thrills.

Let’s get the basics out of the way: The plot of The Other Guys wouldn’t hold up in any court of law. That’s annoying, yes, and at times even distracting; the movie loses momentum in the end as it grapples with tying up the thin storyline’s dangling ends (and there are many) and winds up giving the audience a tutorial on corporate fraud. And Anne Heche as a testy financier is woefully underused.

But all of that’s a small-ish price to pay to watch Ferrell’s singular and witty absurdity unspool onscreen. He milks every moment, no matter how it strains credulity and humor, and often pulls it off. He’s paired perfectly with Wahlberg, whose air of danger is channeled into edgy hilarity. Some successes: A running bit about Gamble’s seemingly unexplainable ability to lure ridiculously attractive women like Eva Mendes (who plays his wife) and the bizarre fate that awaits a pair of celebrity cops who indulge in Bourne Identity-like action sequences, complete with explosions and gunfire and macho, canned repartee. Hoitz and Gamble are unlike most other guys, and what a gift that is.