Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues is the sequel that fans have essentially been demanding since Anchorman (2004) found a cult following in college dorms and frat houses across the country. The endlessly quotable comedy was moderately successful upon its initial release, but solidified its place in pop culture history after repeated viewings became possible on DVD and Comedy Central. To quell any riots or uprisings, Ferrell and co-writer/director Adam McKay have finally resurrected the character that introduced dozens of new phrases into the lexicon of the zeitgeist and who is loved by literally trillions of people.
It’s now the early days of the 1980s and Ron Burgundy has moved from San Diego to New York City to anchor the network news with his wife and co-anchor Veronica Corningstone (Christina Applegate). The dream is shattered, though, when Ron’s boss, legendary newsman Mack Harken (Harrison Ford), fires him, promotes Veronica and calls him the worst anchorman he has ever seen. After an epic fall from the massive pedestal he had built for himself, Ron finds salvation in the form of a new type of news network, one that will broadcast the news 24 hours a day. The idea is ludicrous and sure to fail, but Ron reunites the best news team in the world to give it their best shot.
With Brian Fontana (Paul Rudd), Champ Kind (David Koechner) and Brick Tamland (Steve Carell) by his side, Ron arrives at the headquarters of GNN: Global News Network. Ron is shocked to find his new boss is a black woman named Linda Jackson (Meagan Good) and that the network’s golden child is the almost-too-beautiful-to-look-at Jack Lime (James Marsden). These encounters are almost too much for Ron to hear, but, ever the consummate professional, he puts on his game face and does the only thing he knows how to do: read the news.
If you go into Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues with expectations more grand than “I just hope it’s funny,” you’re going to be disappointed. Anchorman was not a serious movie and it deserves – and delivers – a sequel more concerned with absurd humor than rational plot points. As with the first film, Ferrell and McKay intend for the movie to accomplish two things: 1) make audiences laugh their asses off, and 2) make themselves laugh their asses off. They have no illusions that they are attempting a De Niro/Scorsese work of cinema.
Wearing the Ron Burgundy persona with as much ease as his alter ego wears his trademark suit, Ferrell is terrific again, committing to his character’s moronic rants and bewildering exclamations with total dedication. Rudd and Koechner are funny as well, but it’s Carell (not surprisingly) who again comes close to stealing the show. Brick now has a love interest name Chani, played by Kristen Wiig. Chani is the perfect companion for Brick, though one has to wonder how the couple will avoid walking into a burning building or not drinking bleach. Wiig is an excellent addition to the cast and elevates Carell’s already excellent performance.
The movie runs long (nearly two hours), mainly because Ferrell and McKay want to put in all of their ridiculous ideas despite the movie’s incoherence. Surprisingly, the pair does manage to fit in a modicum of social commentary, especially when it comes to the pathetic programming choices by 24 hours news networks. If it wasn’t already clear that they all struggle to fill a day-long schedule, Anchorman 2 drives the point home.
An entertaining and worthy follow-up to one of the best comedies of the last decade, Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues is the delicious fix of Ron Burgundy that we’ve all been craving.
Grade: B
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