A Review by Phil Calabro
2004, Dreamworks SKG, Dir. Adam McKay, Starring Will Ferrell, Christina Applegate, Pall Rudd, Steve Carrell, David Koechner, Fred Willard, Chris Parnell, Vince Vaughn
This is obviously one of the more noticable films of the summertime, mainly because of the starpower and endless wit from comedian Will Ferrell - and the movie's got that case closed. Anchorman is smart and sassy, oozing humor from the topic of news broadcasting in the 70s - not to mention it's freakin' hilarious thanks to the unforgetable ensemble of characters.
Ron Burgundy (Ferrell) is the city of San Diego's most respectable anchorman and studmuffin, all wrapped together with a keen skill in reading TelePrompters and a smooth sense of chauvanism. He and his anchormen friends (Rudd, Koechner, Carrell, and boss Willard) have run their station with brilliant ratings, until a new welcoming comes to their station - in the form of a woman (Applegate) who wants to be a co-anchor. The boss accepts it, and chaos insues, but Burgundy finds himself in love with the young lady. However, things get tied up after a small fight on set, and go downhill, as we watch how Burgundy takes the falls and bounds of his career.
No other way of saying this: Ferrell is one of the comic legends of his time, taking all his potential and exerting it into this film. Whether it's his dry sense of humor, to his outright silliness that he achieved in Old School, it's all wound together in Anchorman. Also showing his funny skills is Steve Carrell who plays a brainless weatherman co-worker, and tends to get a lot of well-earned laughs through his stupidity. Applegate does a good job, not acting as solely eye candy, but playing along well with Ferrell's wild sense of humor. Not to mention, a ton of cameos ranging from Luke Wilson to Ben Stiller to Tim Robbins.
Director Adam McKay takes the film in a nonsensical direction, mixing in a bit of straightforwardness along with some deliberately goofiness - and it certainly takes the film on a moderate track to success. People will certainly laugh at the film, with its sexual jabs and chauvanistic stupidity of the 70s, but the time difference is not played off too much than other films of its genre do - another 1up to this film.
Anchorman is so far one of the best comedies I've seen this summer, and with Ferrell's extensive list of upcoming films, I hope that he preserves a bit of Ron Burgundy in each one of them. Everybody who wants a cheap laugh for a few dollars, should definitely go see Anchorman.
3.5/4 stars
