Anchorman 2 Stays Funny

Anchorman 2 brings the "legendary" Ron Burgundy into the 1980s and a new medium: 24-hour news. The sequel brings back the absurdity of the first and even takes a few swings at satire, and while it may not equal its predecessor, critics say it's worth a watch.

• "It's not unusual for comedies to sink to silly-stupid depths. A rare few are bona fide silly-funny. Anchorman, and now its follow-up, fall into the latter category of inspired lunacy," writes Claudia Puig in USA Today. "The chemistry and improvisational energy of this comic quartet"—Will Ferrell, Steve Carell, Paul Rudd, and David Koechner—"fuel the comedy." Meanwhile, "nearly anyone who is anybody in contemporary comedy ... makes an appearance."

• Anchorman 2 "recaptures the silly, sloppy spirit of its predecessor, minus the crucial element of surprise. It’s a frequently amusing, occasionally hilarious, rarely unpleasant grab bag of mild mockery and inspired lunacy," observes AO Scott in New York Times.
• The film "manages to make some smart satirical hay in the course of its stupidity," writes Chris Vognar in the Dallas Morning News. "At times, Anchorman 2 blurs the line between depicting stupid and being stupid. At other times, it’s a spot-on parody, not just of cable news’ dawn but also its current incarnation."
• "While I'm glad Anchorman is back," notes Betsy Sharkey in the Los Angeles Times, "I do wish it were better. With so many sight gags and nearly every living comic in the world making an appearance at some point, the entire operation, like Ron's ego, feels a bit bloated." But Carell and Kristen Wiig "create some of the strangest romantic chemistry the big screen has seen in a while—maybe ever."

(More Anchorman stories.)