Movie Review: ANCHORMAN: THE LEGEND OF RON BURGUNDY (2004)

As everyone knows (or should by now) I don’t review Comedies. However, there’s one comedy, which was both good, and fits the requirements for Movember’s Moustache Movie Madness… ANCHORMAN: THE LEGEND OF RON BURGUNDY.

Rating: 4 Out Of 5

once news show i’d watch… if it existed… in real life…

A moutachio’d and raging battle of the sexes is mostly what ANCHORMAN is about. A 70’s style news program with an all man news crew gets shook up, when a female journalist enters the newsroom, causing people to question the accepted norms of a male dominated society. It’s not as issue orientated as it sounds. It’s funnier!!

ANCHORMAN’s lead is Will Ferrell sporting a manly 70’s Moustache, akin to a standard “Copstash”. Being the Lead Anchor of the news station, Ferrell’s Ron Burgundy is the leader of this team and had as a bit of swag around the station. This all gets threatened when a credible woman journalist, Christina Applegate, walks in all sexy and professional.

It’s an awesome comedy where the leads are chauvinistic and unapologetic about being so. Their world is turned upside down as they have to treat a woman equally. Their shock and outrage and the antics that ensue are hilarious and awesome.

The supporting cast is awesome and well rounded out by great comedians such as Paul Rudd, the now famous Steve Carrell, with appearances by Seth Rogen, Vince Vaughn, Luke Wilson, Tim Robbins and Ben Stiller. The chemistry of all these friends can be seen on-screen as their interactions are the funnier scenes of the movie.

ANCHORMAN relies on dated stereotypes and previously accepted social norms in order to get the jokes across, but it works wonderfully. The shock worthy lines of women only being housewives and blatantly offensive-ness of ANCHORMAN makes it one of the more ‘smart’ comedies done by Will Ferrell.

I say this because I’m not overtly fond of the toilet humor crap and heavy dependence on ‘WTF’ moments that most of his films boast of. Granted there is such a scene in this movie as well, but it can be ignored.

Overall ANCHORMAN has some great writing and genius performances by all involved. Steve Carrell & Paul Rudd have to be the funniest co-stars with Rudd sporting a hefty ‘stache of his own. ANCHORMAN is still in the stable of typical Will Ferrell films, however, it’s got more to offer and can be enjoyed without dumbing down one’s intellect too much.

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