Finally A Silly Comedy Worth Paying $10 For!

Rating: 8/10 (11 July 2004)

I rarely go see comedies in the theaters anymore. If I see any, it will be on DVD or on cable. It's not that comedies lately have sucked. It's just that as I get older I have gotten bored of the same formulas used over and over again. Comedy is such a difficult genre to make, and make well, for long-form cinema. Too often we are treated to one of a few types of comedies which don't do much for me.
Lately the formula's have been the Farelly-style gross-out movies, the stupid-but-sincere Adam Sandler flicks, or the one-joke wonders (any SNL sketch turned into a movie, etc.)
I honestly expected to be disappointed walking into this movie. I thought this movie basically was going to be a one-joke movie: look how narcissistic Ron Burgandy is, isn't that funny! But I was totally surprised to find myself laughing to the point of tears. Will Ferrell's character is great, but so many other hilarious characters in this movie make it an ensemble tour-de-farce.
I also was afraid it was going to be another one of those comedies that is half silly but half serious like so many Adam Sandler flicks that have to have some sort of sincerity, sweet happy ending, or some moral dimension; which formulaic Hollywood execs love for some reason. At one point I thought "Anchorman" was heading in that direction, but pleasantly it doesn't go for that: it stays true to itself as a very funny, ridiculous movie.
This is a comedy that relies heavily on random, improv-style comedy. It's creative, non- sensical, absurdist and "silly" in the British humour sort of way. If you love improv comedy or absurd-random humour you'll absolutely love this movie like I did.