Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues review

Here's a movie I wasn't expecting to see.

So, I'm out of town, spending time with family. American Hustle wasn't playing nearby, and I wanted to save Wolf of Wall Street for later. What was left? Anchorman 2, which I'd heard pretty good things about. So, I watched this, having not seen the first. Here's my thoughts.

When Anchorman 2 is funny, it's very funny. I loved this movie at its peaks, and it had me in stitches. Some moments are very quotable, and these are the moments that viewers will come to associate with the movie. Even at some of its lower points, it had enough energy to keep me from getting too frustrated. It's hard to review a comedy. There's only so many ways you can say "I found this funny", and indeed, I did-though not as much as I would have liked.

Anchorman 2 sometimes tries to be satirical. Unfortunately, in a movie as dumb and unsubtle as this, it was obnoxious and distracting. There's also some jokes that just fell flat. The movie does contain a couple plot twists, and it's after the biggest of these that the film starts to go downhill. Without spoiling, the comedy starts to fall flat more and more often, until there were long points at which I was groaning instead of laughing. That's a problem. After this, the movie seems to be back on track, until an ending that is more baffling than funny. I couldn't look away.

So there's Anchorman 2. Sometimes funny, sometimes not. I assume the first one is better, as it has its cult classic status. However, this one isn't as great in the company of some of the much funnier movies I've seen this year. Fans of lowbrow, dumb comedies, this might be worth your time. Everyone else... Well, don't steer clear, but this really isn't the best choice given its company.