Film: Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues
Starring: Will Ferrell, Christina Applegate
Genre: Comedy

The world has waited a decade to learn about the fate of Ron Burgundy, and this week their questions will be answered once and (hopefully) for all with Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues.

Picking up years after the original, Anchorman 2 does not exactly begin on a positive note. Ron has lost his job and wife, not to mention becoming separated from his only son, and has taken to drinking as a means of numbing the ever-present pain. Then one day a stranger appears and offers Ron the chance to host the news once again, only this time as part of the world’s first-ever 24-hour news network. Our hero knows a great opportunity when it comes his way without ever doing anything to necessarily deserve it, and before long Ron sets off to reunite his beloved news team and once again do the job he was put on this earth to do.

The hype surrounding Anchorman 2 has been so deafening since the film’s initial announcement I worried if there was any chance for the sequel to even come close to succeeding on the same level of the original, but I am happy to report Will Ferrell and crew have pulled off a near-perfect miracle. This film is funny. VERY funny. But it also packs a lot of heart and story into its two-hour runtime. This does cause the occasional dip in humor, especially in the second half, but it’s not all that bad when you consider the rapid-fire delivery of chuckles early on. Plus, you have the added benefit of seeing Ron Burgundy evolve as a character rather than shamelessly beat the rehashed version of old jokes into you for what would eventually become an incredibly long 120-minutes. No one can be funny 24/7, though I am sure Ferrell would love for that to be the case.

As far the supporting characters, everyone is pretty much the way you remember. Champ is an absent-minded misogynist, Fantana is a quiet genius afraid to let his intelligence show, and Brick is…Well, Brick is exactly what you would expect him to be. The new cast members work great as well, especially the introduction of Kristen Wiig’s Chanie, but none of them can hold a candle to the mustachio’d man who brings them all together.

In my opinion, the biggest question you should ask yourself in regards as to whether or not Anchorman 2 is for you is just how much you love Ron Burgundy. The setting and time period may have changed, but Burgundy and his action news team as the same group of children stuck in the bodies of full grown men they were a decade ago. The Legend Continues builds on what you loved from the original with fresh ideas, bigger cameos, and more one-liners than anyone is able to catch in a single viewing. If that sounds like something that would appeal to you, rush out the door immediately and see Anchorman 2 today!

Score: B+

Written by: James Shotwell (Follow him on Twitter)

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James Shotwell

James Shotwell is the founder of Under The Gun Review. He loves writing about music and movies almost as much as he loves his two fat cats. He's also the co-founder of Antique Records and the Marketing Coordinator for Haulix. You should probably follow him on Twitter.

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