Anchorman 2

Anchorman 2

Rated R and Released in Grand Rapids 12/13/13

Reviewed 12/19/13 at Celebration North in Grand Rapids, MI

with Gary and Brandon

2 out of 5 Js in QUIET Rating System

A challenge is presented, with the enormous amount of hype Anchorman 2 has. It's been making the media blitz for a couple of months hard. Honestly the cast interviews, especially Will Ferrell, are incredibly funny and I think more entertaining than the movie. Don't get me wrong, there are some laugh out loud moments in the two hours, but it digressed in the latter half and got wacky to the point that we wanted it to end already. Unfortunately the creators really squandered the power of special cameos by all the amazing guests. Every time a new star wold pop, it would be a "wow" moment, then quickly turned to "oh".

Ron Burgundy (Ferrell) has been on the air with his wife Veronica Corningstone (Christina Applegate) entering the new decade of the 80s. Ron's boss Mack Harken (Harrison Ford) divulges he is the worst anchorman on television, fires Ron, and gives lead anchor to his wife Veronica. This causes a riff for the couple that leads to a split. Never fear, Ron rallies the old team and takes on a new job that's the first of its kind - 24 hour news. Brick Tamland (Steve Carell) is dopey funny that probably made me laugh the most. Champ Kind (David Koechner) and Brian Fantana (Paul Rudd) were okay and definitely took a backseat. The group are awful newsmen but they captivate their audience with their impulsive style, spiking the station's ratings enough to secure their jobs. Ron's nemesis at the station takes a backseat for awhile but then he is victorious at stalling the foursome. Rendered blind for a time, Ron's son and now ex-wife rally around him which brings him back to reality and devours his arrogant ways. The ending, trying to be somewhat sentimental, is not to be taken too serious and Ron is faced with a recurring dilemma - career or family. He has to choose his path once again. If you are on the edge of your seat to find out, hold your breath for a bit more. While some of the jokes rattling off leave you chuckling, at the same time you wonder if you should really be laughing. If temptation doesn't get you, save this one for the cheapie theatre or watch at home and you will be just fine.

QUIET Rating system: 2 Js

Quality: JJ

Understood story:  J

Interest: JJ

Entertainment:  JJj

Time:  JJ