If It Bleeds . . .

Rating: Null/10 (8 May 2007)

BYGHT wrote a great review of Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy. I would suggest reading his review first before anything I have to say. I think he's right about Anchorman. It's much more than the cookie-cutter comedies that pollute the theater screens and home entertainment centers across the country. There is some--not a lot, but some--sharp parody here. Anchorman is a flawed and, probably, too silly send up of the news business on TV. Yet it is something of a good companion piece to, say, the much, much more highbrow Broadcast News.
I think what makes Anchorman work is that it really does catch you by surprise. You're expecting a movie that pokes fun at the '70s or just a Will Ferrell vehicle. You sit down in anticipation of a battle of the sexes or just 90+ minutes of frat-boy humor. But A:TLORB gives you all of these things. It's a multi-joke movie; it multi-tasks!
Although it misfires from time to time with its fluffy wackiness bordering on just-too-weird, Anchorman delivers more than enough belly laughs and guffaws to keep the viewer with an IQ above room temperature chuckling and interested. Ferrell is maddeningly sincere in his portrayal of the shallow and idiotic Ron Burgundy. His supporting cast do what they're supposed to do--support him. And Christina Applegate shows enough talent to not get bowled over by the comedy heavyweights.
Applegate is not only beautiful, but there's something tough and ambitious about her--I think it was the smoking--that plays well against the cocksure idiots with which she has to contend. You go into Anchorman not expecting much, but being pleasantly surprised by her performance.
She is a metaphor for why Anchorman is a much-better-than-average product of Brand SNL.