Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues ****

Some might argue, why do another Anchorman film, given the low takings of the first back in 2004 (around $90 million mark)? The chauvinist, un-PC news dinosaur that is perfectly-coiffured newsreader Ron Burgundy – played by Will Ferrell – surely has said everything he needs to say back then. And if you didn’t like what he had to say, then this film is not going to bring you back to the cinema in a hurry.

However, the key difference this time is the commentary on the mushrooming growth of 24-hour news services from the 1980s to now that has left us with channels upon channels of (sometimes meaningless) content, and in particular, certain stations that make news out of a paper bag opening. This is where Ferrell-McKay’s sequel is pure genius in the comedy stakes, with an almighty end battle to gleefully relish.

Burgundy should have left Veronica Corningstone (Christina Applegate) to the bears in the first film as she gets a coveted TV position, leaving him unable to continue their relationship. As time passes, amusement park worker Burgundy gets a call out of the blue in the knick of time from a producer of a new 24-hour news station in New York, inviting him to host the graveyard slot. Burgundy rounds up his former news crew, Brian Fantana (Paul Rudd), Brick Tamland (Steve Carell) and Champ Kind (David Koechner) with hilarious and risqué effect. But can he beat smooth archrival Jack Lime (James Marsden) in the ratings war?

Fans of the first film will be delivered more of the same this time around as the writing team give nods to past events and gags. Where as the first film seemed to be a mouthpiece for Ferrell’s outrageous lead character, shooting off where and when, this time there is more purpose disguised under the utter lunacy. It is essentially bonkers fun – just watching the first scene makes you wonder exactly where the story is going and it’s as far-fetched as can be imagined.

The two hours do seem to fly by when you’re having fun and allow yourself to be submerged in the stupidity. However, this is not without a tad of lag, for example, the uncomfortable dinner table scene when Ferrell is given carte blanche to peddle every racist black pun, plus the real purpose of the ferocious first scene dragged out in a reunion story that has moments of amusement but gets a little tedious in the end.

Ferrell is just as loveably idiotic and entertaining as Burgundy, and there are some nice confrontations as 70s meets 80s boardroom thinking and the advent of sexual and racial equality in the workplace. The Burgundy crew do much the same, with the most memorable being Carell’s Brick who has an insane ‘banter’ going with an equally socially challenged colleague and love interest, Chani, played by ‘comedy flavour of the moment’ Kristen Wiig. That said Brick’s character still delivers some hilarious solo turns, including being introduced to chromakeying.

The headline is: Anchorman 2 has all the ingredients for a daft night out, but you do have to surrender your brain and go with it. Certainly, you don’t have to have experienced working in a newsroom – but it helps. Nevertheless, everyone must have an opinion on the plethora of infuriating TV channels available, as well as being tuned into YouTube for the funniest videos that go viral. It’s these current, social issues that Anchorman 2 really ties in nicely with the comedy, and that’s why Burgundy is still a legend needed to subtly mock our reliance on 24-hour content. There could certainly be a later Anchorman film that targets the online/social media addiction…

4/5 stars

By @FilmGazer

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