Nothing Funny About Anchorman 2

The American Spectator ^ | 01/08/14 | James Bowman

[pgkdan]

uring the two very long hours of Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues, I think I chuckled three times. Meanwhile, all around me were cracking up. They, obviously, were more in tune with the general audience responsible for (at the time of writing) the $100 million in box office receipts earned by this sequel to the equally dreadful Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004). Not that I’m not used to being in the minority in my view of popular movies, but I can’t help asking myself why so many people think this one, which is by the same creative team of Will Ferrell and Adam McKay that produced the original, is funny when I do not. I don’t think it can be because I lack a sense of humor, or that it has atrophied with age, since I do laugh at quite a lot of things. Scott Foundas, the critic for Variety, likens the new Anchorman to “Network as directed by Mel Brooks, and starring Gene Wilder,” thus comparing it to some movies that I do find funny. Does he, then, think they are funny in the same way as Anchorman 2?

[ozzymandus]

Will Ferrel sucks. He’s never been funny, just an idiot.

[ExTexasRedhead]

Income inequality starts with corrupt RATs who line their pockets and screw the American taxpayers, ya think?

[Dick Bachert]

Those around you laughed because the last two elections proved beyond the shadow of a doubt that at least half of those surrounding us every day are total, complete, unreconstructable, critical thinking devoid DUMB ASSES!!!

[Yaelle]

“Connery”s mispronouncing the categories cracked me up.

---

Yeah. The Pen Is Mightier: “I’ll take penis mightier for 400, Trebek!”

[Yaelle]

True. Steve Martin was great as the romantic interest in that Meryl Streep chick flick with Alec Baldwin.

[Rodamala]

I felt like a paratrooper who had parachuted behind enemy lines in that theater. So I left.

I walked out of that Matt Damon anti-fracking film for the same reason. I was in upper NY State, in Marcellus Shale territory where the population has a lot to gain from fracking. I got up and walked out leaving them (and my date, who had chosen that film) to be seduced by propaganda that the Abu Dhabi financiers of the film were pushing. Oh, and needless to say, that was our last date.

[cld51860]

Yes, “Little Nicky” and “Eight Crazy Nights” were horrid stinkbombs. The thing I like about some of his movies is they do have a heart in there somewhere, usually.

[AU72]

Oh yeah - his celebrity jeopardy skits were hilarious.

"The answer is anal bum cover"
"That's an album cover Sean"

[WayneS]

There are more than two golf movies?

[Resolute Conservative]

The list of who I will not watch in a movie is long but it starts with Will Farrell, Jim Carrey, and Robin Williams.

[AU72]

Except Mel Brooks KNEW he was being that way

Can somebody explain to me why the 'N' word is bleeped out in Blazing Saddles but not in Pulp Fiction?

[HamiltonJay]

Agreed, most of his films tend to have a heart to them, others you just sit there and go, what the hell was that? More often than not its the prior, but there are certainly a few of the latter.

[AU72]

Will Ferrell was absolutely awful, but that was the point. Everyone back then thought that anchormen were gods.

Ted Knight doing Ted Baxter portrayed it much better.

[St_Thomas_Aquinas]

I can think of VERY few good comedies. “Airplane” is my all-time favorite. I laughed from beginning to end. I liked their “Naked Gun” series, too. Other movies I’ve liked: “Life of Brian,” “Spinal Tap,” and... that’s all I can think of. The National Lampoon movies were MOR.

[IYAS9YAS]

It is that film where the party is at actor James Franco’s house? We debated whether to go see that. So it was funny?

If you're thinking of "This is the End", I shut it off about 40 minutes in. Just too much nonsensical crap. The acting was horrible, the plot thin, and the humor just wasn't there. Maybe it is if you're 30 or under, or doped up really well, but this 44-year-old just didn't find it funny. And I find a lot of things funny.

[St_Thomas_Aquinas]

all the people around me in the theater were laughing in hysterics as a voice mail played where every vile sexual thing imaginable was uttered to a family (with a children present) that had just said evening prayers.

Wow. That's depressing.

[St_Thomas_Aquinas]

If those banal car commercials starring the Anchorman are any indication, the title is correct.

Increased Durango sales by 40%. How's that for a scary fact?

[gura]

I like Will Ferrell, but I knew the movie sucked when it needed a three week ad blitz before it’s release.

[BBell]

I thought the scene with the reporters fighting was funny, especially when the PBS guys showed up.

Best part of the movie.

[Boogieman]

That’s “This is The End”. I found it hilarious, but if you are not a fan of the casts’ other movies, you may not like it. On the other hand, if you get a kick out of Danny McBride being a douche, and everyone making gay jokes about James Franco, you’ll probably dig it.