Ron Burgundy has been everywhere for the past few months, from starring in TV ads for the Dodge Durango to doing a live news broadcast in Bismarck, ND. He has informed just about everyone of his new movie, Anchorman 2, with an incredible amount of press and hype. Although there were some doubts the second Ron Burgundy movie will live up to the original, it stands on its own as an uproariously funny comedy.
Directed by Adam McKay, this movie spirals into motion when the friction between Ron Burgundy (Will Ferrell) and his wife and co-anchor forces Ron and the rest of the Channel 4 news team, Brian Fantana (Paul Rudd), Brick Tamland (Steve Carell), and Champ Kind (David Koechner), to transfer to New York to form the first 24-hour news network in history, GNN.
The majority of the movie focuses on the team’s attempts to become the highest-rated news network on television by reporting only what the public wants to hear, which often involves reporting exciting car chases and patriotic speeches instead of actual news.
It frequently digresses into hilarious and unexpected subplots, which may also leave audience members scratching their heads in confusion. However, if you have seen the first Anchorman and appreciate its silly, nonsensical comedy, you will not be disappointed by this sequel.
In Anchorman 2, Ferrell once again masterfully portrays the arrogant, often idiotic Ron Burgundy with the brash, deadpan comedic style that has become his trademark, and Rudd and Koechner continue to be reliable sidekicks.
Carell’s portrayal of the strangely lovable Brick Tamland is by far the standout performance of this film, and one hilarious subplot involves his childlike romance with a co-worker, Chani Lastnamé (Kristen Wiig). Brick gets quite a bit of screen time, but his character is never overused, and his lines are consistently among the funniest in every scene.
Throughout the movie, there is an underlying satirical message that Americans will only pay attention to entertaining, “fluff” news stories instead of actual world news, and this element of satire helps make Anchorman 2 a fresh update and not a tired reboot of the original.
Anchorman 2 caters to fans of Anchorman by bringing back Ron’s famous talent for jazz flute, but this sequel also develops its own outrageous situations, such as a rivalry between Ron and fellow reporter Jack Lime (James Marsden), that will surely satisfy devoted fans.
Anchorman 2 is one of the most highly-promoted movies this year, and it lives up to the hype as a hilariously funny and thoroughly entertaining film that any fan of Will Ferrell, the original Anchorman, or Ron’s life-saving dog, Baxter, will love.
If you have not seen it yet, you might want to reevaluate your own life choices and get yourself to the theater for 119 minutes of non-stop laughter. In the meantime, stay classy Schreiber High School.