Movie Reaction: Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues

Formula: (Anchorman ^2) * Network

Why I Saw It: Even if I don't love everything from Gary Sanchez Productions, this sequel is one that promised a baseline level of enjoyment that mandated I see it.

Cast: You've got the regulars, the newbies, and the cameos. The regulars are pretty spectacular. Ron Burgundy is still Will Ferrell's single greatest character and he can milk as many laughs out of a scene as he wants. Paul Rudd, David Koechner, and Steve Carrell are all equally as funny as the first time around. Carrell, who's star has probably risen the most since '04, expectedly gets a lot more time to shine. Christina Applegate doesn't get as much to do, but she gets her moments to remind you why she belongs here. The primary newcomers are Megan Good, James Marsden, and Judah Nelson as Ron's son. Good is there primarily so they have a reason for some race humor. That's not a knock. She doesn't need much more to do. Marsden was a little underused versus what I expected. He fits into the world of the movie very well but is a very toothless foil for Ron. The kid is a generic comedy movie kid who says funny things that six year olds shouldn't. Does he need to be more than that? There's a fun mix of cameos, many of whom I did not at all expect, like Drake has a line. What up with that? A couple others like Amy Poehler and Tina Fey basically felt like guarantees. Oh, and those two killed it in their maybe 2 minutes. Whoops, nearly forgot Kristen Wiig. She believable plays Brick's one true love.

Plot: Does it really need a plot? I'll save you some time. The answer is "No". There is a plot here, a pretty good one about Ron getting a job at CNN GNN and subsequently destroying the practice of new reporting systematically and effectively. I could comment on how it is a smart examination of what is wrong with the news cycle these days, but I won't because that will lead to my opinions on the topic and that is so completely besides the point of the movie, which is laughs. Guess what, it delivers a bunch of those. It's clear that Adam McKay and Will Ferrell understand exactly what is funny in the first movie, used that, and expanded where they could. I don't think 2 hours is too long for a movie like this, but it did drag a little in the middle. There's at least a 15 minute period when the rate of jokes hitting takes a dip and you can feel it.

Elephant in the Room: What about the anchor fight? It was such a given that this movie would feature another anchor fight that I refuse to consider this a spoiler. You'd have to have no idea how sequels work to think that wouldn't be part of this. Needless to say, it is wonderful. They upped the stakes, the variety, and the caliber of the cameos (which was already ridiculously impressive). Telling you all the name in it would be a spoiler, so I won't do that. Of course, it lacked the surprise factor of the original but it was still the funniest sustained sequence in the movie.

To Sum Things Up:
I liked this every bit as much as I hoped to. It's unrealistic to ever assume a comedy sequel will be as good as the original. It's too hard to pull off. As long as it makes me laugh consistently, that's all I need. It's fair to say if you didn't like the original then this won't change your mind. For fans of the first though, it is everything you could want.

Verdict (?): Weakly Recommend