Is this sequel kind of a big deal?
Director: Adam McKay
Stars: Will Ferrell, Paul Rudd, Steve Carrell
I might be the worst person in the world to review Anchorman 2. I’m someone who didn’t like the first film when I first saw it. However after a second watch I began to see it as the comedy classic that it is. So should I wait until another viewing of the sequel before I talk about it? Probably, but i’m going to anyway cos that’s the kind of guy I am.
Anchorman 2 is set a few years after the first ended and sees Ron Burgundy (Will Ferrell) and his wife Veronica living in New York and co-hosting the news on a national network. All of this changes when Veronica is promoted and Ron is unceremoniously fired. From here we join our old favourites as Ron pioneers 24 hour news and negotiates the changing world of race and gender politics.
Anchorman 2 is very very funny. Ron is still hilarious and his news team are still self-absorbed idiotic man-children. It’s this that represents the first real problem with the movie – it’s basically a retread of the first one. The story is too similar with Ron riding high before being brought low and rising again (it’s actually a lot like The Dark Knight Rises). There are deviations from the formula but not much, sub-plots such as Brick Tamland’s love interest are just not funny enough and we don’t get to see enough of the brilliant Brian Fantana (Paul Rudd) or Champ Kind (David Koechtner).
Any problems it might have plotwise quickly melt away anytime the newsteam are on screen together. Scenes such as the trip to New York in Ron’s van, the preparations for Brick’s date, and the showdowns with rival anchor Jack Lime are full of brilliant lines and hilarious jokes. There’s nothing as memorable as the gang singing Afternoon Delight but the sight of Burgundy being attacked by a scorpion or Fantana presenting his condom collection (there’s even a denim one in there) are sure to make you laugh hard.
So it’s not on the same stratospheric level of Ron Burgundy’s first outing but be honest, who thought it would be? Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues is an excellent comedy movie with lots of quotable lines and ridiculous performances. By the time you’ve witnessed the return of jazz flute and spotted all the weird and wonderful cameos in the big battle scene you’ll be wondering why a sequel took so long. I’m certainly looking forward to some repeat viewings. So in the words of the great man himself ‘You stay classy, World.’
7/10
Have you seen Anchorman 2? Did you like it? Does your apartment smell of rich mahogany? Let me know below or on twitter @metalmike25
Screenkicker! 
For fucks sake! Does that mean you’re going to be banging on about this film for years like the last one!?
God help me.
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I need to see it again so I can memorise the lines and then shoehorn them into any conversation I have with you.
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I haven’t seen either (yet) so am not offering an opinion. But yours seems to echo many others: this isn’t as good as the original but it is nonetheless very good.
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You really need to see the first one! But be prepared for a very strange film. I’d love to hear your thoughts on it
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I plan to see it (soon) so I can go to the sequel.
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Cool, let us know what you think
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Nice review Mikey. I didn’t like it as much as I liked the first, but it was still a funny movie nonetheless. Especially since most comedy sequels fail, and fail hard.
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Thanks mate, there were a lot of hilarious scenes but they just didn’t seem to fit together as well as the first film. I still can’t wait to see it again though just for the return of sex panther!
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I was laughing so hard throughout this one that I did really neglect to notice that Fantana and Champ Kind weren’t used as much as they could/should have, that’s a good observation. But my biggest fear was extinguished,.. . i really didn’t think this was going to be good at all. And that’s coming from a massive, gigantic hugendeimous fan of the original. Nice review dude
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Thanks Tom, I laughed a lot when I saw it. And I’m really looking forward to seeing it again as I’m sure I missed loads of things. I was so relieved it was good
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I caught this one yesterday. I think the more I watch it, the more I’ll come to love it. It was funny. Not as funny as I was expecting, but that’s more to the fault of all of the over-hyped marketing than anything. For some reason I laughed really hard at the end when Greg Kinnear floated off of the little cart he was perched on.
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Hahaha that’s so weird, that was the funniest moment for me too! It just looked so ridiculous and a little bit rubbish that it was pure genius!
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Of course your favourite part was the same as mine. Clearly, we’ve got the best funny bones this side of the inter webs 🙂
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You won’t believe it, but I still haven’t seen the first one. Sometimes I love Will Ferrell, and sometimes I hate him. But the movie is practically legendary now so I might have to succumb… after all, I avoided Superbad like the plague only to find out it had some really hilarious moments.
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If you like incredibly surreal and ridiculous humour I think you’ll love it. Plus its one of the most quotable films Ive ever seen
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Nice review! I didn’t care for the first Anchorman and I probably won’t see this one…but points for comparing the plot to DKR! Hahahaha.
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I think I have a problem where I always end up comparing everything to a Nolan Batman film. Even things like lunch!
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Hahahaha. I see no problem with that.
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Great review! But I still won’t watch it since, you know, the first one sucks. 😉 But thanks for that photo of Paul Rudd in his underwear! 🙂
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I honestly never saw the first one, though I have had it recommended to me. Maybe some day! Good review though!
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Do it!
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Hey there Mikey! I liked the first one well enough but I don’t consider it a masterpiece or anything. I might give this a rent as the trailer does make me laugh 🙂
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