Wake Up, Ron Burgundy: The Lost Movie

Wake up, Ron Burgundy is allegedly made of deleted scenes from Anchorman, but while it's obvious how some scenes fit into the movie such as Ron's dangerous driving here leading to the parking scene in Anchorman, there's no way most of this would have ever fit. I assume a lot of last-minute re-shoots were involved.

Some elements work. The Alarm Clock gang is hilarious. They are a group with political goals, but seem unclear on what they are and lack any sort of grand plan. The bit with Amy Poehler as a bank teller who refuses to give them any money because they are so inept as bank robbers is one of the best in the movie. Justin Long as Ed's sullen teenage son, Chris, and Chad Everett as Jess Moondragon, Ron's mentor who won't shut up about how inappropriately he loves nature, also have some very memorable bits. Note that none of these (fairly significant) characters are in Anchorman.

Unfortunately, the movie is just a series of bits. It doesn't really come together. To some degree, this is to be expected in a movie assembled from deleted scenes, but it's more than that. The jokes get too much narrative priority, often leading to things that just don't fit in the context of the movie. Veronica Corningstone's personality is all over the place and Champ King's moment in the car goes on way too long, even though it starts well, for instance. This really hurts suspension of disbelief as it never really establishes any rules to play by.

This is a serious problem, but I'm giving the movie a 6 anyway, mainly because it made me laugh so hard I nearly vomited on several occasions, like when Brick explained what he was eating or any of Paul's attempts to explain the manifesto. In short, this is a great way to present deleted scenes. It isn't a great movie.

As I am sure most of you know, Wake Up, Ron Burgundy was compiled completely of deleted scenes and alternate takes. Some are saying it is a sequel to Anchorman, but it feels more like an alternate movie. The same things happen to all the characters, but in different ways. All it took was a narrator to piece together the scenes on the cutting floor and there you have it, another movie!

Wake Up, Ron Burgundy is obviously not as good as Anchorman, due to the fact that most of the best scenes made it into the original movie. However, it is an awesome supplement to the original movie, complete with it's own set of special features. It even has it's own deleted scenes. Considering the movie is all deleted scenes, they must have had a ton of extra footage to pull together a project like this. If the movie had to stand on it's own, I would not rate it very high, but for what it is, I give it about a 6.5/10.

i loved 'Anchorman' and it took me a long time to find 'Wake up' after i found out there was such a movie. i enjoyed it, although it is really worse than Anchorman, but you should always keep in mind that (the official story) this is a 'movie' compiled of scenes unrealized from the original movie as well as alternative subplots. having this in mind just take it lightly and enjoy it, as there are some genuinely hilarious scenes that will wet your pants with laughter. still 'wake up, Ron burgundy' isn't in a form to be considered a movie on its own, as it only works as a supplement to 'anchorman:the story of Ron burgundy' - just a way of the team to have some more fun filming some crazy ideas, and for the viewers to enjoy The News team some more

i enjoyed it :)

peace

Could "Anchorman" have been funnier had it been allowed to stretch itself out beyond the two-hour limits of a commercially-minded comedy? Here's a chance for us "Anchorman" lovers to find out.

In "Wake-Up Ron Burgundy", we see San Diego's Channel 4 news team in action once again. Ron (Will Ferrell) struggles with love and jealousy as co-anchor Veronica Corningstone (Christina Applegate) achieves her dream of big-time success. Meanwhile, their little world is threatened by the emergence of the incompetent but very radical terror cell who calls themselves "The Alarm Clock". When Veronica is captured by this gang, it's up to Ron and his buddies to save the day.

No use getting too excited about that long-discussed "Anchorman" sequel: This is strictly outtakes from the first movie, with some clever editing disguising the fact that Ron and Veronica are meeting here once again for the first time. Better you think of this as an alternate-reality "Anchorman" than a real sequel.

Narrator Bill Kurtis puts it in perspective in his opening narration. What we are about to see, he explains, is "the chaff from the wheat, the skim from the milk, the pudding from the all-you-can-eat lobster buffet, and the surgeon guy from Prince and the Revolution."

What "Wake-Up" really is is a chance to see Ferrell and his co-writer/director Adam McKay working even more of their creepy-funny comedy vibe. Scenes in "Anchorman" could stretch on a bit, but made their point. Here, they stretch on beyond that point, then stretch further.

Ron needs a moment to compose himself on-air while reading a tender story about a Japanese devil owl, then another, and then another. "A lot of emotion here," he says, tearing up.

A creepy mentor figure, Jess Moondragon (Chad Everett) pops up to offer no meaningful advice for Ron, but plenty of lustful rumination on what he'd like to do to Mother Nature - "things you can only do in Bangkok."

Such scenes work as goofier riffs on ideas from the first film, but with a rub. Watching Ron and Veronica's awkward first date a second time isn't so killer with a long sequence showcasing Ron's driving skills replacing his mastery of the jazz flute.

Because it's all outtakes, however skillfully put together, there's story gaps galore and rehashed gags from the first movie with slightly different blocking. The Alarm Clock angle works in bits, but is too thin to serve as a framing device. The character build-up that made "Anchorman" so immersive is shortchanged here. Most of that made the first film.

Fans of Champ Kind (Dave Koechner) will enjoy the wild man acting even wilder here; one moment he's a raving homosexual, five minutes later he's a raging cannibal. Brick Tamland (Steve Carell) lunches on used coffee filters. In addition to Everett (his send-up of the serenely sleazy Moondragon aided by a strong late-career resemblance to Clint Eastwood), there's a brief killer cameo from Stephen Root as a fill-in anchor.

Like I said, it's all sweet stuff if you're an "Anchorman" lover. But it's definitely not the sleeper classic "Anchorman" has become. It's definitely more self-indulgent in its humor and fitful in its direction. "Wake-Up" shows that in addition to being frightfully clever, the people behind "Anchorman" had a lot of sense in where to trim.

Instead of just including the deleted/alternate scenes of "Anchorman", the producers edited them together into a brand new movie. Even though there is new narration explaining how it is a sequel, it is very clear to anyone watching that many of the scenes are alternate versions of scenes in the original film. The main plot (which is most likely a discarded subplot from the original) involves a pacifist gang called the alarm clock, whose members include Maya Rudolph (SNL), and Amy Poehler (Upright Citizens Brigade, SNL) is also in the film. This movie is not as funny as the original, and moves a bit slower, but all together it is worth seeing if you liked the original.