This week we are looking more closely to the movies that could be categorised as male buddy movies. Now, I would be lying if I’d say I wasn’t stuck with this theme. Initially I thought male buddy movies are comedies (which I don’t like) or adventure/teen movies (which I haven’t seen many). So to find a common theme and keep with the male buddy theme became a true challenge this week. But I did it (with a twist) and here are my three recommendations.
3. BAYWATCH (2017)
Revamping things that people have loved before can go two ways. People will tolerate it or people will hate it. There are a few exceptions that have worked but mostly it’s just either okay or bad. Baywatch is bad. It’s a raunchy comedy that feeds off muscles and … other body parts. Dwayne Johnson and Zac Efron play these two life guards, Efron being the unskilled one. They sort of form a buddy kind of connection by the end. There’s also boobs and I know by mentioning this at least one of you will have sweet-sweet flashbacks. In the core I remember there is some sort of crime happening, so the lifeguards have to solve it – since they are essentially beach cops.
2. CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE (2016)
That’s right, the theme here is Dwayne Johnson and sort of like buddy cop kind of theme too. Even though in this case, Johnson is a spy and Kevin Hart is his buddy, it still evolves some sort of crime and solving said crime. I didn’t really love this movie. It has a few good moments and it’s not as bad as one would think. But in the end, it’s just a very unmemorable male buddy action comedy. In other words, I’m not a huge fan of these kinds of movies but they fit the theme well so I’m throwing them all here.
1. THE OTHER GUYS (2010)
You see, I don’t remember this movie that much but Letterboxd tells me I’ve seen it. It also tells me I didn’t like it that much but I think it aged better than I thought. When I watched the trailer it seemed less awful but maybe it’s because the comedies have gotten worse these days. Or maybe I’ve gotten soft. Anyway, this is about a cop team who are not the superstars that are Samuel L. Jackson and Dwayne Johnson. Farrell and Wahlberg literally play the other guys and it’s a fun male buddy cop movie about the underdogs. Who doesn’t love underdogs, right?!
THIS AMAZING SERIES IS CREATED BY WANDERING THROUGH THE SHELVES
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I’ve only seen Baywatch of these three and it was absolutely horrible. I wasn’t much of a fan of the original series but it could be goofy fun in its empty way. The film makers obviously didn’t understand what was appealing about it since they utilized none of the good fluff just a terrible mess of a script that had almost nothing to do with the original concept.
I might get around to Central Intelligence one day but can’t abide Will Ferrell so The Other Guys is a no for me.
I chose three buddy teams and what is considered one of their best films for each.
Stan Laurel & Oliver Hardy-Brought together by the happenstance of both being employed at the Hal Roach studios they discovered they were a perfect fit. Starting in 1921 until their retirement from films in 1951 they appeared in 106 films, shorts and special subjects.
The Bohemian Girl (1936)-Stan and Ollie travel with a band of 18th-century Gypsies holding a nobleman’s daughter. Bumbling all the way they still manage to rescue the girl in the final reel. Thelma Todd’s final film, released several months after her murder.
Bing Crosby & Bob Hope-Hugely successful separately Bob & Bing were paired in The Road to Singapore-a script originally intended for George Burns & Gracie Allen-along with Dorothy Lamour (who would appear in all the subsequent films in the series) as a couple of feckless roving buddies and hit comic gold for seven Road pictures between 1940 and 1962.
The Road to Morocco (1942)-Starving vagabond Jeff (Bing) sells best friend Orville (Bob) into slavery in a Moroccan marketplace to buy food. Seized by a guilty conscience, Jeff discovers that Orville is now engaged to the gorgeous Princess Shalmar (Dorothy). Astrologers have told the Princess that her first husband will die violently, leaving her free to marry her beloved Sheik Mullay Kasim (Anthony Quinn). But when the princess falls for Jeff, things get complicated.
Gene Wilder & Richard Pryor-When he received the script for Silver Streak Gene Wilder told the producers that only one actor could play the part opposite him-Richard Pryor. They agreed and a comedy team was born making in total four films as mismatched buddies.
Silver Streak (1976)-While on a cross-country train ride, overworked book editor George Caldwell (Gene) begins a spur of the moment romance with the mysterious Hilly Burns (Jill Clayburgh). Their interlude interrupted when he witnesses a murder and is then accused. The true perpetrators kidnap Hilly and throw Caldwell from the moving train. Desperate, Caldwell teams up with car thief Grover Muldoon (Richard), and together they must save Hilly while avoiding the police. Many complications and hilarity ensue.
I hate myself for watching baywatch enough times to know that the gif you used was from the scene not in the actual movie lol
Hahaha! See I didn’t know this because I hardly remember this movie. 😀
The Other Guys has aged wonderfully lol. It was on TV the other day and i watched it again. Still hilarious.
I feel like I would like it now as well. 😀
Baywatch was so bad. I think it was trying to be goofy and make fun of the original Baywatch, which was not a comedy, but it all just falls so flat.
Yeah, they would have likely been more successful if they pretended to be serious and the result was as ridiculous as the show. 😀
I’ve only seen your first two picks and I didn’t like them. But I’d rewatch Baywatch any day for Efron.