Though not the funniest of Will Ferrell's collaborations with director, Adam McKay (Talladega Nights, and Anchorman), this movie definitely had a lot more laughs than I was expecting. Ferrell and McKay, who created the website, FunnyOrDie.com, have been teaming up since Saturday Night Live days, and their offbeat comedies are almost always guaranteed to fill the theater seats.

In The Other Guys, Ferrell downplays his usual zany self, as a character more like Dwight Schrute, from The Office. His subdued forensic accountant character, Allen Gamble, plays more of the straight man role (at least for part of the film), to Mark Wahlberg's nutty Terry Hoitz character, whose rage issues, and accidental shooting of Derek Jeter, have gotten him sequestered at a menial desk job. The two hold down the fort at the police station, while the "real heroes," played by Dwayne Johnson and Samuel L. Jackson, take care of the dangerous stuff.

In an over-the-top and explosive action sequence that begins the film, those heroes meet an untimely end, only to open up the position to partners Gamble and Hoitz, who accept the challenge, and accidentally uncover a conspiracy that goes all the way to the top. The action is played straight with some pretty impressive stunts and explosion, while the humor is not quite as in-your-face as a normal Ferrell comedy.

Don't get me wrong, the characters are pretty hilarious. Ferrell's "happy to be a desk-jockey" Gamble is meticulous and a lovable schlub. His red Prius lightly bumps Little River Band's "Reminiscing," and his "disgusting" wife Sheila (Eva Mendes), waits patiently at home, reminding him not to get in any danger. Seeing Mark Wahlberg in a comic role is a real treat. He's a peacock, who's "gotta fly!" and has a few screws loose, as he's the type of guy who learns ballet so that he can properly make fun of the guys that do it. Also in a fun role, Michael Keaton is the Police Captain, whose second job at Bed Bath and Beyond, and secret love of the band TLC, make him a great scene-stealer.

The movie has some great music as well. Wyclef Jean, Foo Fighters, Black Eyed Peas, and the White Stripes all contribute great tracks to some pivotal scenes, like the slow-mo gun fight, and the still-frame night on the town. The humor and vulgarity are about standard for Ferrell and McKay, but there were definitely some laugh out loud scenes for me. Hearing Mark Wahlberg question Ferrell, "Did you yell 'America' when you hit the accelerator?!" in his Prius still makes me laugh a little as I type this.

Overall, it plays out as a pretty decent cop-action flick, with a lot of humor peppered in. It's probably about fifteen minutes too long, and drags a bit at times (107 minutes), but it's definitely enjoyable. The unrated edition contains another ten minutes of footage that were a little too much to secure that PG-13 rating (although it already pushed a few boundaries). Also included on the disc are bonus features, such as a behind the scenes featurette on the making of some of the explosive actions scenes, a look at the comedy "genius" of Michael Keaton, and deleted scenes.