Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues
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Will Ferrell and his comedy gang have finally answered the call with “Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues,” a sequel to the cult comedy “Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy.” Much like its predecessor, the jokes are almost always random and meaningless but the sheer absurdity of them merits a laugh. With a sequel that has received so much hype, it’s a little disappointing that the film is not as good as the original. But there’s nothing better than seeing the best news team together again.
“Anchorman 2” is just the right balance of delivering serious journalism messages and delivering no message with no hidden meaning beneath it.
The plot begins when Ron is offered a job at GNN, a revolutionary network that offers news 24 hours a day and a clear copy of CNN. The story will be a particular joy for journalism majors as there are constant references to broadcast history and ethical standards. But other than those few consistencies, the storyline is a little messy. Several conflicts plague the protagonist and only the main problem is really expanded on at the climax.
As in any movie, there’s a falling out between Ron and his friends and he’s forced into a journey of self-actualization that involves drinking ketchup, eating an ashtray and bottle-feeding a baby shark.
There is a lot to be desired for the rest of the news team since they didn’t get nearly as much screen time as fans were hoping. But the supporting actors do make their limited screen time count. Steve Carell is a standout reprising his role as Brick Tamland, the sensitive and clueless weatherman. Brick finds love with Chani Lastnamé (Kristen Wiig), a girl just as weird and dumb as he is, and it makes for some of the most hilarious moments. The best of which is when Brick defends Chani against her frustrated boss in the most inappropriately sweet way.
Of course the film isn’t complete without the inevitable fight scene between newscasters. If fans can believe it, the cameo list for this smack down is just as long and as epic as the last one. From across the room confrontations to uncomfortable family dinners to warnings against the evil of voodoo, there is a never-ending stream of shocking moments and more hit than miss jokes.
— Amanda Hayes
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