Starring: Will Ferrell, Steve Carell, Paul Rudd, David Koechner, Christina Applegate
Director: Adam McKay
9 years ago I walked into a theater to see Anchorman, I laughed my ass walked out and thought to myself while I laughed many,many times I just sat through a terrible movie. It wasn’t until a second viewing; the unrated DVD that I truly appreciated it for what it was a comedy classic.
Walking into the sequel my expectations were low. The promotional barrage of all things Burgundy, left me with the impression that like most things Burgundy what I was getting was a blitz of bravado to overcompensate. If I learned anything from my original experience is that like a fine wine a dose of Ron Burgundy needs to breathe a bit to be fully appreciated.
This time Ron gets the old band back together to host the graveyard shift on GNN the first 24 hour news network. Much like the Hangover 2 parts are overly reminiscent of the original while at the same time upping the bizarre quotient. This time around Brian Fantana (Paul Rudd) doesn’t have a cologne collection, it’s a condom collection. There is no Bear but there is a Shark, a shark named Doby that a blind Burgundy raises while living in a lighthouse (Yes I did just write that). There is also the requisite news cast rumble replete with cameos. Mixed into all of this is a Brick Tamland (Steve Carell) love story with his female counterpart Chani (Kristen Wiig doing her typical Kristen Wiig Schtick) These two think going on a date is standing in front of a vending machine. The Wiig /Correll comedy stylings would be better served in a smaller dose. Champ Kind is back as the colonel sanders of the chicken of the cave who just can’t get enough Ron in his life.
Throughout, Ron and his GNN team battle with competing Anchor Jack Lime (a chapstick obsessed James Marsden) and the station manager A hot and Feisty Linda Jackson (Meagan Good) While reinventing the news into what it is today.
Walking out you will be glad the news team is back, you will have laughed a lot and you will wonder if the movie you just watched was any good. Honestly it probably isn’t but a definitive answer cannot be made until viewed a second time and that’s where the magic lies the small quotes that you can’t get out of your head, the scene that while preposterous has you thinking about it later. It’s nonsensical, it’s inconsistent and incoherent but you will laugh and that’s all I need.
First Viewing a 75
Repeated viewings leave the final score to be determined.
