Don't waste your time or money

Rating: 3/10 (14 July 2004)

Not being a huge Will Ferrell fan, I didn't have high expectations of Anchorman, and I certainly wasn't disappointed. Ferrell's usual following might be, however. His over-the-top physical and sexual humor soars to the moon in this film and takes its time coming back down again. The situations range from a trip to a cartoon "Pleasure Town" to an incident with a dog that is much more disturbing than funny. As for the supporting cast, Christina Applegate tries to portray a serious journalist fighting for recognition, but she comes off as the vapid, ditzy girl we know so well from her days on Married with Children, though that's more the script's fault than Applegate's. Paul Rudd and the rest of the newsroom gang do offer some interesting background. In fact, some of the funnier segments of the movie come courtesy of the mentally deficient weatherman's random comments. Of course, the film does have the benefit of several hilariously unbelievable cameos, but all-in-all I wish I could get my two hours back.