Lazy Will Ferrell flick without jokes or storyline

Rating: 7/10 (22 May 2005)

I think Will Ferrell is a funny guy, I really do. The problem with "Anchorman" is, like many movies based on SNL spoofs, it relies solely on the charisma of its leading actor and forgets to include actual gags. From start to finish "Anchorman" is just lazy writing. The story never goes anywhere and there are virtually no real jokes whatsoever. The audience is supposed to laugh at the way Ferrell delivers his line (which takes the whole flick dangerously close to Adam Sandler terrain) or his tasteless looks and stupidity (haha, his suit is so 70's, haha, he thinks he's sexy, but he's really fat and hairy, haha, he thinks San Diego means "a whale's vagina" in German). All of this may appeal to the intellect of a 10-year old, but not necessarily to people older than that. There are cameos by the usual suspects, Ben Stiller, Vince Vaughn, Jack Black, all of which make it a bit too easy on themselves lately and think anything they do and say is automatically funny and will guarantee another hit movie. Well, so far this kind of movies is fairly successful, but maybe the makers and protagonists should stop now and then and think about where Chevy Chase is today. Maybe that would teach them not to treat their success so inflationary and put more effort into their work.