Paperwork?  You must be kidding.  No badass buddy cop duo has ever been troubled by the monotony of filling out countless forms for every firearm discharged, domestic dispute, auto accident, petty shoplifting, or false burglar alarm. You never saw the likes of Riggs and Murtaugh, Tango and Cash, Hammond and Cates or even Turner and Hooch so much as suggest that somebody ought to record the details of their multitudinous and wildly implausible adventures.   And the same is emphatically true of Highsmith and Danson (Samuel L. Jackson and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson).

“The Other Guys” opens with an awesomely explosive car chase showcasing the superhuman policing talents of New York’s finest, or at least most Hollywood-influenced, officers.  Like the numberless fictional romanticized cops before them, Highsmith and Danson gallivant around the city in a classic American-made muscle car waving their non-regulation weapons freely about and endanger countless civilians as they hunt down perps and serve street justice with reckless abandon.  They crack wise, cars fly through the air, city blocks are destroyed and people die.  This is all very entertaining.  But who does the paperwork?  The unsung office cop duo, Gamble and Hoitz do — the other guys.

Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg are the other guys.  Wahlberg is the disgraced cop who (accidentally?) shot Yankee great and patron saint, Derek Jeter, and desperately wants to get back on the streets to redeem his name.  Ferrell, his partner, is the naive by-the-books straight man who is terrified of real police work but loves doing everyone else’s paperwork.  When the rogue showboating of Danson and Gallivant puts an end to their ostentatious Hollywood fantasy the rest of the department is catapulted into a frenzy with officers eager to fill their exciting paperless shoes.  Wahlberg’s character sees this as his opportunity to clear his name, though Ferrell’s character is less excited about the notion of breaking rules or firing a gun to get there.

Granted, the idea of the former leader of the Funky Bunch teaming up with one half of the unofficial Spartan cheerleaders in a buddy cop comedy doesn’t tickle the funny bone.  But surprisingly, this Adam McKay joint delivers.

Famous for his preternatural (or I suppose extremely natural) comfort with his body and fearlessness in the service of comedy, Ferrell certainly isn’t averse to outlandish public behavior, making his hilarious turn as the straight-laced police officer all the more impressive.  Whether he’s being tricked by fellow officers into executing a “desk pop” (shooting your gun from your desk for sheer entertainment) or berating his wildly gorgeous wife (Eva Mendes) for imperfections she doesn’t have, Ferrell is a joy to watch.

Wahlberg is just as good.  Apart from his motor-mouthed asshole role in Martin Scorsese’s “The Departed” Wahlberg isn’t known for his comedic chops.  But McKay or the producers must have seen something most others did not.  He displays a veteran’s knack for comedic timing and even shows some genuine prowess as a physical comedian.  He and Ferrell have a great time taking the piss out of nearly every buddy cop movie cliché in the book.

Don’t think it can get better?  I have two words for you.  Michael.  Keaton.  That’s right, Batman continues his long overdue comeback following his fantastic turn as Ken in Disney-Pixar’s “Toy Story 3″ earlier this year.  His manic portrayal of the police captain who splits his time running a precinct and managing a Bed, Bad & Beyond is the best part of the movie.

“The Other Guys” isn’t quite to the level of McKay’s best work, “Anchorman” or “Step Brothers,” but it will certainly find a permanent home in the irreverent hearts of Ferrell fans everywhere.