Before reading this review, I must warn you I was excited to see Anchorman. Very excited. I Fandangoed (that's right, it's become a word) my tickets well in advance of the Friday 9:00 PM showing, rounded up a crowd, and counted down the minutes until the laughs would begin. Ultimately, Anchorman didn't live up to these lofty expectations, but was still a thoroughly entertaining movie that is worth your attention.

Will Ferrell plays Ron Burgundy, the anchorman for the leading evening news program in San Diego. He is joined by weatherman Brick Tamland (Steve Carell), sports guy Champ Kind (David Koechner), and reporter Brian Fantana (Paul Rudd). The news team is shocked when the station manager (Fred Willard - Best in Show 2000) decides to hire a female reporter (Christina Applegate as Veronica Corningstone), and when she rises through the ranks to become Burgundy's co-anchor, they vow she must be stopped.

Ferrell turns in an amazing performance as Burgundy, but he gets mixed support from his co-stars. Steve Carell deserves credit for a great performance as the dim-witted Tamland, and Vince Vaughn - as always - delivers as Wes Mantooth, the anchorman for a competing news station. But with so many talented comedic presences, the film sometimes suffers from its inability to evenly distribute the spotlight. Christina Applegate suffers the most from this phenomenon with her performance largely overshadowed by her co-stars. Willard's character in Anchorman is poorly suited for his talents. Fans of his acting in the Christopher Guest series will be disappointed by his role in this film.

The film's subscription to total randomness is both a blessing and a curse. One the one hand, it breeds the kind of silliness you would expect from a film like this. It’s light from start to finish with the audience eagerly expecting the next gag – won’t have to wait long. Conversely, the film suffers when it is consciously random, when it goes 'too far.' (SPOILER ALERT: SKIP THE REST OF THIS PARAGRAPH) There is a seemingly never-ending stream of cameos in the film - Ben Stiller, Tim Robbins, Luke Wilson, Jack Black – who with the exception of Black play anchormen for rival TV stations during a street fight between all the news crews. A funny concept that falls well short of its potential. This talented roster of comedians – all leading men in other films - is on screen for a grand total of two minutes and they don’t really do or say anything especially funny in their short time.

Several of the running gags in the film fall flat and detract the film’s overall quality. For instance, Burgundy’s relationship with his dog is played up, but does not go over well with the crowd. Throughout the film, sports reporter Champ Kind confesses his love for Burgundy. This gag starts out unfunny and eventually becomes disastrous, yielding only uncomfortable laughter from the audience. Moments like these poke holes in what would otherwise be a continuous flow of laughter. You heard it here first: make a move to the concession stand when the dog comes on screen, you’re not missing anything.

So having picked apart the film, I must now confess I left the theater laughing and feeling like I’d got exactly what I expected. If you’ve been thinking about seeing Anchorman, you should. Fans of Ferrell’s work on SNL and in his other movies will undoubtedly be entertained. But for those of you who are not sure about this film, I recommend you steer clear. If you don’t approach the film excited and open, I think you’ll find yourself disappointed.


Recommended: Yes