ANCHORMAN: THE LEGEND OF RON BURGUNDY (2004)

ANCHORMAN: THE LEGEND OF RON BURGUNDY (2004)

Tagline: They bring you the news so you don't have to get it yourself.

(Comedy) [PG-13] 

Yep, it's made with bits of real panther, so you know it's good.

So just for the record, I have already watched this movie 3 times in the last 8 months. I am guessing I probably watch it about 5 to 6 times a year just because it’s a great go-to comedy when you are in the mood to lighten things up. I have also listened to a lot of the Ron Burgundy Podcasts on Spotify just because I think the character is so ridiculously refreshing and over the top at the same time. I grew up in an era in part of the ’70s where my dad would take us to the dog track and the air was filled with cigarette smoke, the ground was sticky with spilled beer, and betting ticket stubs would confetti the floor because all the trashcans were full of paper hotdog trays. We sat with dudes that were almost exactly like Ron Burgundy and listened to their ludicrous tales between races. So as crazy as this movie is, it’s not that far from some of the real hijinks and attitudes of the day. 

In this one 1970s San Diego, news blew people away with its straightforward approach to news and lack of opinionated commentary. Ron Burgundy (played by Will Ferrell) is at the top of the food chain and his news team is one of the most respected ever. Champ Kind handles sports. He is played by David Koechner who kind of reminds me of Terry Bradshaw only Champ is a bit more of a clown. Brick Tamland (played by Steve Carell) handles the weather…sort of. Brian Fantana (played by Paul Rudd) handles field reporting and is a hapless ladies man. Life is good for the news team and San Diego loves them. However, in an effort to diversify they hire a woman named Veronica Corningstone (played by Christina Applegate best known for Married With Children), who has her eyes on being the network's anchor. Will Burgundy be able to stay on top now that Veronica has raised the bar? 

From the opening sequence to the final frame, this movie is just nothing but outlandish nuttiness with one nonsensical scene after another. The comedic chemistry and seemingly endless cameos are awesome, but a lot of the lines are not for the faint of heart. I will say if you are easily offended by almost anything that isn’t PC, you might want to get in your car and drive away from this review now because for you this movie is going to suck. For almost anyone else, this is a nice break from the rigidness of today’s eggshell society and should serve as a really fun side trip into mindless fun. There are some scenes that are almost gut-busting humor wise and others that do feel a little like filler but are also still fun. The casting is near perfect and acting-wise everyone involved is clearly having a blast. 

There are some things in this movie that I wasn’t crazy about. One is Jack Black's short role in the movie. The scene seems almost completely un-needed and comes across as just being out of nowhere. There is also a strange scene with Fred Armisen as a waiter that seems like it was completely ad-libbed and should have been left out. Outside of that some of the running gags are just so-so, but as a whole, this movie is wildly entertaining. They even manage to get a little bit of heart into this movie allowing for elements of forgiveness and redemption. 

Giving it’s goofy over the top nature, it’s really hard to even harp on the parts I didn’t love, so given what we get on-screen ANCHORMAN is a solid 6 out of 7 comedy, in a field where there are not enough standouts. 

GRAPHICS ARE THE PROPERTY OF DREAMWORKS PICTURES AND ARE USED FOR REVIEW PURPOSES ONLY.  

Please check out the link below by clicking on the picture. Because no one should die buttonless. Until next time.