I killed a man with a trident!

Rating: 9/10 (18 April 2007)

Will Ferrel has one of the strangest brands of comedy. He isn't traditionally funny the way Eddie Murphy or Russell Peters are. I don't know if he would be good in stand up. But put him in a movie where he can be self deprecating, self loathsome, and just flat out bombastic, and there is no equal. Anchorman--The Legend of Ron Burgundy is his Beveryly Hills Cop, his Something About Mary, his Stripes. You won't find a funnier, albeit stupid, but nonetheless funny film anywhere. And the thing about this film is that the gags and the jokes just never stop. They are perpetually launched at us, every frame, every sentence, every word is meant to make us laugh. I haven't laughed this much in a film since perhaps Zoolander.
Will Ferrel plays Ron Burgundy, one of the dimmest, most arrogant people in the business. He actually thinks he is important, that he matters. And he has good reason to think that as he is treated like a celebrity everywhere he goes. Women fall over him, men want to hang out with him and even his co-workers lionize him. He is part of a news team that works for a San Diego news station. The other members of his team are sports caster Champ Kind, who thinks he's even more of a ladies man than Burgundy does. Paul Rudd plays Brian Fantana and he is perhaps the normal one on the team but does enough zany things to prove he belongs. And the diamond in the rough, and perhaps one of the funniest characters ever created on film is played by a pre 40 Year Old Virgin Steve Carrel. He plays Brick Tamland and to say he is a moron is an insult to the intelligence of morons. He follows the crew, imitates them, and acts completely stupid almost all of the time. To quote him to prove how funny his character is, for anyone who has not seen the film, would seem futile. But for those of is who have seen it, who can forget his "I love lamp"...or "Loud noises"...or "I killed a man with a trident". He makes Zoolander look like Socrates.
The plot? Well the male dominated business of T.V. news is about to get a shock when Veronica Corningstone, a very sexy female broadcaster gets to become a co-host with Burgundy. The plot is fine, but the movie is really just one skit after another and I'm wondering if any of this movie was really scripted. To me, the way it looks, the director just gave the cast Carte Blanche to do what they want. And it works. Take for example perhaps the funniest scene ever filmed.
The news team meets up in a back alley with other news teams, all cameos by the Frat pack, and they rumble, in the style of West Side Story. But in this segment, people get set on fire, arms are chopped off, tridents appear and so on. The hilarity just never ends.
Anchorman might not be for everyone. I hated it the first time I saw it. But it does grow on you and Steve Carrell is just hysterical. I highly recommend this film and especially the DVD with all the extras. You have to see Ron Burgundy's auditon for ESPN. Classic!!
Also, watch for the cameo by Jack Black.
8.5/10