Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues Review
The original Anchorman is still one of my favorite comedies. There are very few movies that make me laugh as consistently as it does. So, I was looking forward to this next installment in the legend of Ron Burgundy, as I'm sure many people were. The first film has became a real cult hit. However, there was a genuine doubt in my mind that this was going to be good. Not many comedy sequels are able to replicate their predecessor's success. Let me expunge any doubt that you may still be having; Anchorman 2 is the real deal.
Will Ferrell is back as the greatest newscaster of all-time, Ron Burgundy. I'll admit, many of Ferrell's films are hit-or-miss. Honestly, the only movies of his that I enjoy are Anchorman and Elf. Say what you want about the man, but he was born to play this character. He's just as idiotically comical as he was in the original. The fan favorite, of course, is Brick. Steve Carell plays him again, and plays him perfectly. He was even funnier in this than he was in the first. Many of the best scenes involved him. Carell won't get any awards for this role, but he should still be commended for it.
Paul Rudd and David Koechner have returned as the other two members of the team, Brian Fantana and Champ Kind. They may not be as popular as Ron and Brick, but they are still very funny. Both of them do great jobs. Excellent performances from the four leads once again.
There are a lot more of the same silly but hilarious scenes that made the first film great. There were moments in the showing I attended where the audience was laughing so loud that I actually couldn't hear the movie. I couldn't get mad at them, though, because I found myself laughing with them gag after gag. Anchorman 2 really comes out with the big guns from the start. The first 10 minutes or so were downright uproarious. And, it largely keeps up the same hilarity for the bulk of its running time.
As I mentioned in the opening, this movie is actually about something. It explores the evolution of news from "what people need to hear" to "what they want to hear". That theme is brought up numerous times in the film, and plays a large role in the story. There were some cool moments that weren't necessarily really funny, but I chuckled to myself when I recognized the satire of modern news stations. Like I said, it was cool to see the writers actually touch on some interesting satirical points. It gave the movie more of a structure than the previous one.
One of my favorite things about Anchorman 2 was the love story between Brick and a receptionist at the news station that is just as...well, let's say Brick-like as Brick himself. It created some really funny moments, and was actually kind of sweet. It was a nice occasional diversion from the main plot.
There's a point in the film, about two-thirds into it, where it really started to lose its footing. The story changes almost jarringly, and this 10-15 minute segment where Ron is living in a lighthouse was definitely the lowest point in the movie. I only laughed once, though I won't reveal what I laughed at. I wouldn't want to take away the only enjoyment that section of the film had to offer. All I'll say is, the story changes back just as discordantly as it changed in the first place, and I was glad it did.
The last 20 minutes of the movie, once Ron returns from his beach-house adventures, are absolutely, downright hilarious. The best part of this section of the film is a similar fight to the classic one in the first film, but it is bigger and better. I'm dying to reveal all the celebrity cameos in that section of the movie, but it would really spoil it. Part of the greatness was how shocking some of the appearances were. If you liked the many cameos in the fight from the first Anchorman, you will love the ones in this one. I, along with the rest of the audience, almost died laughing. That was without a doubt the best scene in the movie.
Just like in the previous film, there are a few sequences that could very well be taken as offensive. One could argue there were more of those moments in this one. However, even in those uncomfortable moments where the jokes are borderline racist or sexist, I found myself laughing. I never really felt bad for laughing, though. Does that mean I'm just a bad person? Maybe, but I don't think so. The way the scenes are done just doesn't seem to be hostile, or actually offensive. The way they played out just didn't make it seem dirty. I don't know how else to explain. Maybe I'm alone on this, and a lot of people were offended by some of the gags. You just have to see it for yourself.
There was a big, goofy smile on my face for most of Anchorman 2. There were a few laugh-free stretches, but there weren't enough to deter the rest of it that was extremely funny. Fans of the first Anchorman will not be disappointed. It won't win many new converts, but it does its job in providing more of what made its predecessor great, and arguably improves upon the first.
Conslusion
Anchorman 2 is a hilariously ludicrous comedy that provides more of the same moments of silly humor that the first so heavily supplied. Time will tell if it's as quotable as its predecessor, but it is certainly just as funny. It hits a pretty low point about two-thirds in, but recovers admirably and finishes strong. It is undoubtedly one of the funniest movies of the year. A must-see for fans of the first film.
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