Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues

The original Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy has become somewhat of a cult classic over the years, making it surprising that it’s taken nearly a decade for the sequel. Now it’s practically impossible to go anywhere without seeing Will Ferrell’s Ron Burgundy host a news broadcast or appear in some form of advertising for the film. He’s become synonymous with the character and dare I say a legend, as the title suggest.

Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues has the entire Channel 4 news team reuniting to become part of something big that has never been done in the news industry before; a 24-hour news channel called Global News Network. Times are beginning to change and Ron Burgundy and his team of misfits are about to lead the way.

Ferrell’s outrageous antics and charms know no bounds the second time around as Anchorman 2 pushes the limits of raunchy comedy. It’s one joke after another with little time to breathe in between laughs, and trust me, there are plenty of them. Ron Burgundy is a lit firecracker waiting to explode at any minute. His unfiltered words of wisdom don’t make much sense but Ferrell has an uncanny ability to make even random sounds be hilarious. He’s not alone, either.

No single person can carry an entire film alone and much of Anchorman 2’s humor comes from the great supporting cast. Weatherman Brick Tamland (Steve Carell) makes Ron Burgundy appear normal. His makes his first appearance in the film at his own funeral for heaven’s sake. Surprisingly, Brick manages to find someone equally as weird as him. Chani (Kristen Wiig) is a secretary in the same building as GNN and the two immediately hit it off. And by hit it off I mean awkwardly stare at each other for extended periods of time. Sportscaster Champ “Whammy” Kind (David Koechner) and his overly sensual love affair with Burgundy return as well, as does Brian Fantana (Paul Rudd) who made a successful career photographing kittens in the years between. They all have their own little quirks that help make the film as hilarious as it is.

What’s good about Anchorman 2 is that it doesn’t rely on the same old jokes from the first film. The style is the same but the film builds upon what’s already been established as well as throws in a couple of references for fans. Brian Fantana, for instance, has replaced his collection of fancy colognes with condoms. Like its predecessor, the film culminates in one climatic battle between news anchors from across the globe. I’ll save you the spoilers but suffice to say it’s amazing and well the price of admission for this scene alone.

There are some bits and pieces of social commentary about journalism and news networks scattered throughout, but they have so little impact when they’re surrounding by nonsense and dick jokes. Before any subject can really be explored, they’re already on to the next joke. The film also drags on a bit towards to end, specifically when Burgundy becomes temporarily blind after falling down ice skating. Still, it’s a fairly comical ride until the very end even with its two hour running time. Not many comedies can do that and have you laughing throughout, let alone make you want to see it again.

Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues tiptoes the line between being funny and being crude. Its randomness and nonstop barrage of jokes end up making it one of the funniest movies of the year.