Before “The Other Guys,” Mark Wahlberg only made movies that were accidentally funny.

Anchored by a lively performance by Will Ferrell and a witty script from frequent Ferrell collaborator Adam McKay (“Anchorman,” “Talladega Nights”), Wahlberg gives his best performance since “The Departed,” playing a disgraced cop who is frequently exasperated by his pencil-neck partner.

“The Other Guys” has more laughs than “The Happening” without all the unintentionally bad M. Night Shyamalan dialogue. Though overlong and not as fresh as the buddy cop spoof “Hot Fuzz,” Ferrell and Wahlberg have a distinct comic chemistry. These guys definitely deserve a “Lethal Weapon” style franchise.

(more…)