Funny premise, not very funny movie

Rating: Null/10 (6 July 2004)

Will Ferrell as a phony, materialistic 70's TV news anchorman? Funny premise, but it's just not funny beyond the previews or the first 5 minutes. Movies can be both stupid and funny, like "Old School" but this one is just stupid and very rarely funny. There's not much of a story - it's just a vehicle for Ferrell's anchorman character.
Look for one wildly over-the-top scene between dueling news teams and some well-known actors in quick cameo roles (familiar faces from "Old School" for example). Beyond that, only comic actor Steve Carell (former regular on "The Daily Show") is good for a reliable laugh, and he steals just about every scene he's in, as a dumber-than-dumb weatherman. Ferrell, though, is rarely funny in the leading role.
I'm not sure I can recommend this film even as a bargain matinÃ©e. It's not that good even as brain-dead comedy.