Anchorman - Die Legende von Ron Burgundy

...that genre being "manly men behaving stupidly". Its charm is in the fact that it is not pretending to be anything other than what it is - it does not try to get you to do anything other than laugh. The film is also responsible for giving Steve Carell his breakthrough role as Brick, the news weatherman who can hardly assemble a coherent sentence.

The film centers around Ron Burgundy (Will Ferrell), a local news anchorman in San Diego at an unspecified time. From the fashions and music, it could be anytime between 1968 and 1975. Ron is basically a lecherous yet likable leisure suit Larry who is mainly a face - he has no real journalistic talents or instincts. He simply reads the news that others report. The trouble begins when the station manager hires a new newswoman, Veronica Corningstone (Christina Applegate) who at first is given only fluff pieces to do. The big step forward for Veronica is that she is working as a reporter at all. This was considered women's lib in 1970 - just being admitted to the club. This did not exempt you from all kinds of hazing and sexual harassment, which was considered the price of admission. A romance develops between Ron and Veronica that ends quite abruptly when Ron is late to the set and Veronica goes on in his place. She does so well that she and Ron become co-anchors and the war begins - Veronica against every other man in the newsroom, all who feel threatened by a woman anchoring the news. However, Veronica plays it smart and takes advantage of the fact that Ron will say anything that comes across the teleprompter without even thinking about it.

Normally I don't like these kinds of films at all, but for some reason this one just gets funnier every time I watch it. Especially funny is the conclusion, with actual investigative reporter Bill Kurtis discussing the destinies of everyone at the station.

One of the most quoted movies of our time, this is Adam Mckay's and Will Ferrell's masterpiece. With it's funny remarks and unmatchable cast, this will live with every moviegoer as a great comic masterpiece.

Overall - 4/5

I had been avoiding myself from watching 'Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy' for a long time because I thought that it would be another one of those wannabe non-funny comedies. I liked Ferrell a lot in comedies like 'Legally Blonde' and 'Stranger Than Fiction' where he really downplays the humour but I saw some of his Saturday Night Live sketches and many were plain awful. Anyway, I later found out that the cast also included Christina Applegate, Paul Rudd and Steve Carell and so I was curious to how Ferrell works with these talented comedy actors.

So that's that and now, after having seen it, I must add that 'Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy' is a laugh riot. It superbly spoofs the 70s. Adam McKay brings together an excellent comedic cast playing colourful characters. Ferrell and Applegate are at the centre of the film and both are stupendous! But the supporting cast that includes David Koechner as a 'macho' wannabe who's actually a closet homosexual, Paul Rudd as a virgin stud, Steven Carell as a mentally stunted weatherman and Fred Willard as the laid back boss equally stand out with their gags and superb comic timing. Just when I was thinking that it would be funny if Vince Vaughn was part of the cast, he appears on screen as the 'deadly' rival. There are also notable cameos by a psychopathic Tim Robbins, a Hispanic Ben Stiller, an armless Luke Wilson and Jack Black as a cruel junkie.

I'd recommend to watch the movie with English subtitles as there are some hilarious lines between Burgundy's dog and a bear which is spoken in animal language. There are so many more laugh-out-loud moments that it's hard for me to single out a particular scene. Which one shall I say? The scene where he plays the flute to impress Veronica, Veronica screaming 'Ron!' (in typical 70's melodramatic style) when he gets fired, the entire bear awakening sequence, the battle between the anchormen, Veronica challenging Ed with her three strengths: screwing, fighting and news-reading ....there's just too many.

While being an out-and-out comedy, it does bring forth some serious issues like gender equality (which was still a problem in the 70s). Though the undertone is serious, it's all presented in a comedic way but it never makes fun of the issue. For example, Veronica is continuously harassed by her male co-workers but she stays strong without succumbing to their rudeness.

'Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy' is a joyride all the way. Whether one likes the film or not, I'm sure they at least would have a good laugh.

Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy is a completely ridiculous, yet very hilarious movie. There are so many quotable lines in this movie that even if you haven't seen it, you've probably heard many of the jokes already. It's a great balance between situational comedy and absolute absurdity. Plus, there's even some actual story mixed in with the humor. This is one Will Ferrell movie that I think hits the comedy nail right on the head.

*** 1/2

Starring: Will Ferrell, Christina Applegate, Steve Carell, and Paul Rudd.

Famous anchorman Ron Burgundy is on top of the world. He's got fame, friends, ladies, and his beloved dog. But all that changes as he develops a rivalry with his new female co-anchor Veronica Corningstone.

Without question this is Will Ferrell's best work. His over-the-top acting and his over-the-top hair fits perfectly in the title role. And surprisingly, he's not the best part. Steve Carell, as the "retarded" weatherman steals just about every scene he's in.

Hilarious movie, but not exactly for the ones who don't exactly like "stupid" movies.