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.The film opens with an insane car chase featuring star cops Danson and Highsmith (Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and Samuel L. Jackson in hilarious cameos). When the A-Team is suddenly taken off the case (don't ask), B-Squad Hoitz (Wahlberg) and Gamble (Ferrell) unravel a juicy plot involving missing scaffolding permits and a crooked Wall Street executive.

The bad guy here is played by the not-so-intimidating Steve Coogan, which is part of the central joke in "The Other Guys." Danson and Highsmith get the hot media coverage for taking down drug dealers and robbers, while the real criminals steal billions right under everybody's noses. Typical American story.The plot is particularly mundane, allowing the film more time to focus on the strange working relationship between Hoitz and Gamble. Hoitz still catches guff for an unfortunate incident involving Yankees star Derek Jeter, and the soft-spoken Gamble inexplicably treats his gorgeous wife (Eva Mendes) like a castoff from "The Biggest Loser." For much of its running time, the film is a series of sprawling arguments, including one where Ferrell and Wahlberg bicker about the fighting abilities of a lion and a school of tuna.

Michael Keaton, hot off his scene-stealing vocal work in "Toy Story 3," is the standout of the game supporting cast, playing the precinct's overworked captain. He moonlights as a manager at Bed, Bath & Beyond and has an unexplained fondness for the music of 90s pop act TLC.

True to his previous films, McKay's comedic style leans to the random. It'll certainly turn off viewers in need of more structure, but "The Other Guys" is probably the director's shrewdest film to date. Rather than let Ferrell's insanity loose, his character is more of a comedic slow-burn. The transition from uptight accountant into hardcore crime buster is Ferrell at his nuanced best.Wahlberg gets flack (deservedly so) for his nearly-endless stream of stiff performances (most recently in "The Lovely Bones"). The actor works best in movies where his rage can be released, and let's just say Hoitz has a lot of issues to work out.

Moments in "The Other Guys" don't register on any comedic level, and at nearly two hours, the movie loses energy before it even gets near the end credits. But as far as summer entertainment goes, especially this year, "The Other Guys" has a great cast and more than enough laughs than the average high concept Hollywood offering.And stay for those end credits. You just might learn a few things about corporate corruption via some clever charts and graphs.

Grade: B+

Ticket Stubs is sponsored by the Hayden Cinema Six Theater. Tyler Wilson can be reached at twilson@cdapress.com. Read more reviews and pop culture commentary at www.NormdogEntertainment.com.