- 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+
Wow man. Great review. I thought your observations about Brick’s character are brilliant, fair and accurate. I enjoyed myself thoroughly here, but I certainly get what you are saying. This is nowhere near as refreshing as the original. But it certainly has its place in comedy. 😀
Thanks. And agreed. It isn’t half as remarkable as the first, but there is plenty of humor here all the same.
I think I liked this more than you did but I agree with all your points. I kind of liked the fact that it was derivative of the first one but then the first one has got a kind of special status for me. Not sure why.
Because the first is near brilliant? 🙂
And I like this, too. I just don’t love it, the way I do the first.
I keep hearing that this movie is nothing great. So much hype, I will wait till DVD! Thanks for the review.
Waiting is wise. It’s still entertaining and funny, but it isn’t special, like the first one was.