They Love to hate each Other: The Other Guys jumps into the buddy-cop comedy line

Those were the words (roughly) of Nick Nolte to Eddie Murphy 9then in his first feature role) in 48HRS. the cop/buddy movie template from which The Other Guys liberally draws - not to mention the classic TV comedy "The Odd Couple".

in this current model, the odd couple - Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg - are desk jocks in a precinct where seemingly all the detectives routinely get the big score. too big though, for the two "stars" (Samuel L Jackson and The Rock in cameos so pointless, you have to laugh), who perish while on their latest grandstanding move.

"Other Guys" could easily have fallen into the same morass of mediocrity as its predecessor, the Bruce Willis-Tracy Morgan combo Cop Out, but is saved by several factors:

Performances - Ferrell, in particular is at his most self-assured since "Anchorman" and Wahlberg tears into his anger-driven character with gusto. Even hottie Eva Mendes chips in as the unexpectedly luscious and loving wife of Ferrell's character. And welcome back to Michael Keaton, playing the precinct captain who "moonlights" at bed bath and beyond and makes a habit of referencing TLC song lines.

Writing - Other Guys isn't quite the funniest from writer-director Adam McKay, but most of it is pretty damn good.