"Anchorman" soars past stupidity on colorful, quirky characters

Rating: 8/10 (18 June 2008)

You won't get an argument out of me that "Anchorman" is just a stupid movie. It just delivers stupidity with a barbaric yet ingenious sense of creativity that makes it the best comedy that a mind from "Saturday Night Live" has ever come up with.
SNL writer/director Adam McKay didn't have to do much for this film, only assemble an incredible ensemble filled with some of the best improvising minds in Hollywood. Will Ferrell, Paul Rudd and Steve Carrell are just the highlights for what is a tremendously talented cast that sells you crap like it's gold and you buy right into it.
Ferrell is Ron Burgundy, easily his best and most unique character of all time, an anchorman for a San Diego news affiliate in the 1970s who thinks he's the biggest thing ever/God's gift to women. He's remarkably stupid with an odd set of talents and an air like he's really smart and awesome. Carrell and Rudd are two of the other reporters: one a retarded weatherman and the other an over-cocky ladies man/field reporter that makes Burgundy look smart. Carrell's performance is golden although clearly written by someone with the decency of a ten-year-old. Rounding out the cast is on-the-rise female reporter Veronica Corningstone (Christina Applegate) who balances out the ridiculous humor a bit and I also am partial to the immaculate Fred Willard who is the news director.
Still, in all its shear ridiculousness, "Anchorman" shines. Its characters and random sequences never dreamed of before because they are so utterly preposterous work despite your inclinations for them to be horrible. That said, "Anchorman" is not going to work for everyone and amidst the trash that followed it it won't appear as totally original in the future. But nevertheless, the trials and tribulations of the lovable Ron Burgundy really work better than what happens to most stupid comedy protagonists when it comes to getting you to care. It's really Ferrell's best comedic persona and the only one he could revisit with any success.