The year’s biggest sequel is here, I am beginning to think that word “sequel” will replace “film” in future lexicons. Anchorman 2 is the continuation of the spoof newsreader franchise, the original 9 years ago, as we all probably know, is without doubt Will Farrell’s Magnus Opus. Anchorman 2 recognises the accomplishments of its predecessor and rarely strays from the already established formula. The basic narrative of the film sees anchorman Ron Burgundy and is now wife, Veronica Cornerstone present the weekend national news in 1980’s New York City. Things go awry when their chief editor (Harrison Ford) promotes Veronica while firing Ron, splitting their relationship and forcing Ron to seek out his old news team for his new job on the first ever 24 hour news channel and from here madness ensues. What the audience is treated to next is an often nonsensical and frequently over the top trip as Ron Burgundy once again, becomes America’s most successful anchorman.
The movie keeps the laughs chuckling along but admittedly, there are not so many major belly busters as there was in the first one. The film’s story is simply used as a vehicle for Will Ferrell and co to use their wacky and frequently, surreal form of improvisational humour and that’s grand, however, sometimes they play to the gallery too much and can come across as over hyper kids fighting each other for attention. Tried and tested gag routines from the first film are also rehashed and overused, everybody loves Ron’s unique turn of phrase but when you hear “by the sword of Greyskull” or the like 50 times, it quickly looses impact. Everything has to be madder than the first one, which harms the humour, and the cameo list is just excessive as is the final gang fight, it really is just too much.
I’m not going to come down to heavy on this film here, frankly it’s hilarious and it’s trying to do the impossible, that is to fairly compete with a highly successful prequel but it does feel at times like they literally have jumped the shark (you’ll see what I mean). While it won’t be a classic like the original, there is enough to keep the most humourless person happy. Well worth a watch, ultimately, better than most of the crap comedies knocked out from Hollywood these days. I have heard people say they won’t go see it because of the reviews, a trend I have probably helped, but I do not mean to. Go see it, it’s fun and you will laugh, and perhaps entering the cinema with a slightly lower expectation may lead you to being pleasantly surprised.
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