Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues

Derivative of its predecessor to a fault, Anchorman 2 is nonetheless funny and imminently watchable. Even if it is ultimately forgettable.
There are plenty of hilarious moments and lines. “Who the hell is Julius Caeser? You know I don’t follow the NBA.” “Suicide makes you hungry. I don’t care what anybody says.” Ron (Will Ferrel) meeting Linda Jackson’s (Meagan Good) family. Getting the news team back together. And so forth.
Which is to say, enough of Anchorman 2 is laugh out loud funny that it is mostly successful.
But enough of it is also flawed that it does not equal the original.
To begin, Steve Carrell’s star has risen in the past ten years, but Brick’s has not. He’s still better as a side player delivering one or two odd ball lines every few minutes. Giving him a significant subplot, a budding romance with Chani (an excellent Kristen Wiig), places too much focus on a character that cannot carry it. Each time the film shifts to Brick and Chani laughter stops as awkward scenes are played too long.
Second, nothing in Anchorman 2 is fresh. The plot follows the first’s formula, except now the aggressive animal is a shark, the news-team gang fight is between rival national newscasters, and Ron’s fall from grace isn’t spurred by Veronica (Christina Applegate), but Jack Lime (James Marsden). Satirical farces work best when they are original, and this one isn’t.
Third, Anchorman 2’s satire is less subtle than the first’s, not that the first traded in subtlety either. The point is multiple characters take turns telling us exactly what’s wrong with modern day round-the-clock cable news channels, meaning the satire isn’t cloaked by absurd comedy; it’s stated directly without the slightest innuendo.
For all of that, Anchorman 2 is still entertaining. The characters remain hilarious. Many of the film’s jokes resonate, as does its anti-cable news theme. The myriad cameos are effective. And so forth.
This comedy is far from bad. But it is also far from special.
Final Grade: C+