Movie Review: "Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues" Lands On Two Feet More Often Than Not.

Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues

Director: Adam McKay
Cast: Will Ferrell, Paul Rudd, Steve Carell, David Koechner, James Marsden, Meagan Good, and Christina Applegate.
Rated PG-13 for crude and sexual content, drug use, language and comic violence.

You already know if you're going to see this follow up to the absurd, yet classic comedy, Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy. I'm not going to write this review in the attempt to convince everyone to see or stay away from this sequel. Films are subjective, and no genre is more subjective than comedy. So, I'm writing to Will Ferrell fans...Anchorman fans. Like many, the first Anchorman is one of my all time favorite comedies. This sequel had a lot to live up to. While not as classic as its predecessor, Anchorman 2 is a solid comedic venture that delivers plenty of laughs.


I do not wish to give too much away here. The plot involves moving Ron and his news team to a new network based in New York City called GNN. The first of its kind, GNN, plans to use Burgundy in its attempt to produce 24 hour news. And so we follow Ron, Brian, Champ, and Brick along for the ride.

I couldn't help but have a smile on my face throughout the majority of the movie. It was just great to see these actors back in character. They could spit out nonsense and I would still chuckle. The movie is filled with random off-the-wall comedy, but it works most of the time. Not all the jokes have the desired effect, but there are plenty that are sure to have audiences quoting them immediately following the film. Even the parts that I did not find as funny during the movie, somehow made me chuckle to myself when I thought about them after the movie was over. Good comedies are better after you start quoting them and watch them again. I wasn't thrilled with Napoleon Dynamite when I first saw it, nor with Hot Rod. But then you start quoting them and you instantly think, "I need to see that again," and suddenly they are hilarious. Anchorman 2 is plenty funny the first time, and I imagine that after the quoting begins, you will want to see it again and love it even more.

The biggest problems I had with the film was the length of it and the lack of Paul Rudd. The story loses some luster after the first 75 minutes for a time, but it does bring it home for a fun cameo-filled finale. At times, Steve Carell's Brick was given a little too much to do while Paul Rudd's Brian Fantana wasn't given enough. There could have been a better balance between the two as both are hysterical.

Overall, these are minor problems. There are many laughs and plenty of quotes to memorize. I'm beyond relieved that Ferrell and co-screenwriter/director, Adam McKay, did not ruin the legacy of the first film.

RATING: B+