Starring: Will Ferrell, Christina Applegate and Paul Rudd
Directed by: Adam McKay
Rated: PG 13
Running time: 1 hour 59 mins
Paramount
Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars
I don’t know how to put this, but…Ron Burgandy is still kind of a big deal. And as portrayed by Will Ferrell he brings a hilarious dose of good news with him in the new film, “Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues.”
When we last left Ron (Ferrell) and his news team, he had just regained his job back and was happily co-hosting the San Diego evening news with his beloved Veronica (Applegate). As we meet him again, he has just been fired, replaced by Veronica and reduced to hosting the hourly dolphin show at Sea World. After a disastrous interaction with the crowd (“children and women hate you, Ron” a young boy calls out), Burgundy finds himself, literally at the end of his rope. However he is saved by a visit from a representative of an all new, 24 hour news station, hilariously played by the usually very serious Dylan Baker. Offered an anchor position, Ron accepts with the condition he can assemble his old news team. Sportscaster Champ Kind (David Koechner) now operates a fried “chicken” restaurant. Feature reporter Brian Fantana (Paul Rudd) has made a successful living by photographing kittens. And weatherman Brick Tamblin (Steve Carell) is dead. At least he thinks he is. The newly reunited team head for the Big Apple and new found fame!
I had one fear when I sat down to watch this movie: that I had seen so much of it already in the incessant promotional on-slaught that has been running since Labor Day that I’d already seen the funny stuff. Not to worry. In the capable hands of writers Ferrell and McKay, Ron Burgundy’s world has more than enough room for laughs. Originally scheduled to helm the 2 a.m. news shift, Burgundy finds success by, in his words, “telling the people not what they NEED to hear but what they WANT to hear. Couple this idea with Ron bottle feeding a shark and experiencing interracial dating and you have the makings of one outrageously funny film. All of the returning actors are funny and strong, with Rudd’s Brian Fantana a standout. New guest stars, including Kristen Wiig, James Marsden and Harrison Ford shine just as bright as the story’s regular cast members. Add to these stars a strong performance by Dobby the Shark and you’ve got yourself one damn funny movie!
