It might have something to do with his softly-spoken acting style, but his comic timing and presence left me severely wanting.
That same year's Date Night was even worse - Wahlberg is really only there for an extended cameo, but the filmmakers seem to have assumed that merely having him take his shirt off makes any scene funnier. I found it grating.
This has been playing on my mind recently due to the trailer for Wahlberg's upcoming comedy Ted doing the rounds.
In the high concept comedy from Family Guy creator Seth McFarlane, Wahlberg plays a man who's teddy bear came to life when he was a boy, and has stuck around ever since as a hedonistic pal.
It's an undeniably interesting premise, and McFarlane looks to be having a lot of fun with it, but boy I wish it wasn't Wahlberg starring in the film.
Everything in that trailer reminds of his worst offences in The Other Guys - he comes across as petulant and aggressive, in a non-endearing way.
As mentioned above, Wahlberg can really sing in the right role in the right film. There's a grand tradition in Hollywood of serious actors going comedic and it working (Robert De Niro in Midnight Run, Al Pacino in The Devil's Advocate) but in my mind, it simply isn't working for Wahlberg.
Maybe his upcoming flick Pain and Gain will fare better. It is Wahlberg's exacting lack of self-awareness that I find trips him up, so playing a clueless dolt might be just the thing.
I get the feeling I'm in the minority on this one - but do you think Mark Wahlberg has comedic chops? Which other serious actors' attempts at humour have you enjoyed or hated? Should Daniel Day Lewis try a comedy? Comment below!