An experiment in comedy

Rating: Null/10 (18 October 2004)

Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy is a very strange comedy. It feels almost like an experimental comedy: improvisation, talking directly to the camera in places, and some truly strange humor.
Nothing much happens in the movie, but this isn't a bad thing. The basic idea is that a chauvinistic news room in the 1970s has to deal with a female with her sights set on becoming an anchor. Ron (played by Will Ferrell) falls in love with the woman (Christina Applegate), the rest (Paul Rudd, Steve Carell & David Koechner) all attempt to bed her but fail, in hilarious ways, naturally. With such a simple plot, it falls on the actors shoulders to make it entertaining.
The actors seem to be having a great time. Much of the lines are improvised (stick around after the credits to see different versions of the stuff that made it). They all go over the top, but it doesn't matter. It just adds to the sense of fun that the movie produces. Will Ferrell is perfect for Ron Burgundy. He manages to get away with saying, "I'm going to punch you in the ovary. Right next to the baby maker" without seeming offensive. Comedy legend Fred Willard shows up, and there are a lot of cameos (notably Jack Black, Luke Wilson & Ben Stiller) that all add to this feeling a bit like an SNL party. The fact that it is directed by Adam McKay, one of SNL's writers & directors, should illustrate what kind of film it is.
Anchorman's main problem is that it takes the audience half an hour to work out what they are doing. Either that, or it doesn't hit its stride until then. There are some extraordinarily funny parts, including the disclaimer at the beginning ("The following is based on actual events. Only the names, locations and events have been changed"), a bizarre animated sequence and a dog that can speak Spanish. However, the jokes are not consistent, and some are far too obvious.
Anchorman is a funny movie. If the jokes were only more consistent it would score higher.
** 1/2 out of *****