Rating: Two Stars
World-Famous Three Word Review: Sequel not funny
Well, that was about what I expected — the same stupid, semi-offensive jokes as the first Anchorman movie.
Except this comes after the marketing strategy forced the over-hyped sequel down our throats.
The real problem with this movie and so many others like it, is that they are overly confident that they are funny. They assume that Will Ferrell improvising for an hour and half will always be funny. That only works when your audience is comprised of 12-year old boys.
Nine years after the original Anchorman, Ron Burgundy is back on the airwaves. He earns his comeback by virtue of the revolution of the 24-hour Global News Network (GNN).
Burgundy and quirky news team manage to top the ratings despite their early morning time slot by resorting to cheap antics. Kind of like the movie itself.
The more shallow and sensational Burgundy gets, the better his ratings. For instance, GNN ignores a hard-hitting investigative piece in favor of a pointless, live car chase.
While this was an interesting take on the current news media, the script was just as shallow as the broadcasts they sought to portray. When a skating accident leaves Burgundy blind, he carries on with a montage about raising a pet shark instead of doing anything poignant.
Steve Carell as the hapless weatherman Brick Tamland was the silver lining of this film. The character was as mindless as the rest of the crew, but the only one who was genuinely funny.
His awkward romance with ex-receptionist Kristen Wiig evolved into the only worthwhile subplot. Her line about being “22 months pregnant” with their child was the highlight of an otherwise drab movie experience.
The only other scene worth seeing was the climactic fight scene made to match the same cameo-heavy brouhaha from the first film. John C. Riley as Stonewall Jackson’s ghost was mildly humorous.
It’s worth noting that while the scene was set in New York, it was filmed in Woodruff Park in downtown Atlanta. I actually got to see them filming this scene. It was much more exciting in person. On screen it was just disappointing.