Anchorman: Dumb, insipid, ridiculous - but very funny

Rating: Null/10 (6 July 2004)

Okay, the words, 'starring Will Ferrell and Christina Applegate' gave me the clue that I would not be watching Shakespeare when I went to the recent preview of "Anchorman: The Story of Ron Burgundy," but I was still not prepared for how ludicrous and stupid this film was.
On the other hand, however, I laughed the better portion of my head off - and so did most of the audience. And, when you think about it, that's not a bad way to spend 90 minutes, is it?
The film tells the tale of Burgundy (Ferrell) a vain, ridiculous, fictional San Diego television news personality in 1976 who's tops in the local ratings and presumably based on 70s anchor Harold Green. A billboard says it all: 'If Ron Burgundy says it - it's true.'
He leads a pompous, sexist group consisting of goofy sportscaster Champ Kind (David Koechner), sleazy Geraldo Rivera-like, Brain Fantana (Paul Rudd), and moronic weatherman, Brick Tamland (Steve Carrell), who rebel against the station's manager, Ed Harkin (Fred Willard) when a beautiful woman, Veronica Corningstone (Applegate) is brought in for diversity's sake.
Burgundy thinks diversity means an old, wooden Civil War ship, but soon falls for the blonde, curvacious former star of "Married With Children" - really hard.
Unfortunately, a run-in with a burrito, Jack Black on a motorcycle and Burgundy's pet pooch on the Coronado Bridge changes the newsman's life - for the worst. With Corningstone's star on the rise and Burgundy in decline, he falls into a three-month drunken stupor (on milk, no less) before an opportunity comes along to change his fortunes.
Like his previous turns in "Old School" and "Elf," as well as most of his characters on "Saturday Night Live," Ferrell is hilarious in his addled simplicity and gives a very good comedic performance capturing the misogyny and ignorance of many 1970s male chauvinist pseudo-celebrities, especially those who populated local TV and radio stations.
The silliness of the wild leisure suits, white shoes, overstarched hair, sideburns and mustaches is only matched by the gang fight scene in which Burgundy's group goes up against the likes of other newsmen, including Vince Vaughn, Luke Wilson, Ben Stiller and, of all people, Tim Robbins.
It's totally inane, but it's a laugh riot.