The highest compliment I can pay Anchorman 2 is that it almost reaches the comedic level of the original. Ron Burgundy (Ferrell) is every bit ridiculous as he was a decade ago and no less amusing. Ferrell adopts the persona again with ease and clearly has a blast playing him. The supporting cast may have less to do in this sequel but do shine in their respective roles, particularly Carell's Brick Tamland whose idiotic antics still serve up plenty of laughs including an hilarious scene with green screen technology. The sequel also injects new blood into the cast with James Marsden playing a rival news anchor in the vein of Vince Vaughn's character in the original. Expect nods to the original throughout the film including another battle scene with extensive cameos that surpass the original's already overblown sequence.
 |
| The News Team Is Back! |
Another plot thread is the introduction of Ron's child, Walter. For me, this area didn't quite work, with Burgundy's outbursts feeling quite out of place in the family scenario set up in the film. In my opinion this thread could have been removed entirely as there was enough going on with the new characters and nods to the original without shoehorning in another plot thread. Nevertheless, I appreciate the director's attempt to try to do something new with the sequel as there was a real danger going into this film that it would be too similar to the original.
 |
| Remember The Ground Rules |
Overall, Anchorman 2 is a well received return to the big screen for Ron Burgundy and his news team. Although hitting on many of the same beats as the original and being more of the same rather than reinventing the wheel, this film succeeds in providing new laughs and entertains in abundance. Although these sorts of film aren't to everyone's tastes, McKay brings enough fan service to fans of the original without being too heavy handed, making Anchorman 2 a successful comedy sequel.
