Of all the "Saturday Night Live" alums to make the inevitable jump to the big screen, only a few -- such as Chevy Chase, Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray, Eddie Murphy and Mike Myers -- have been able to amass a body of work that has achieved box-office success and also garnered at least some degree of critical acclaim. With his performance in the hilarious "Anchorman: The Legend Ron Burgundy," Will Ferrell stands poised to join this group, while concurrently positioning himself as one of today's brightest comedic stars.
Ferrell stars as Ron Burgundy, a local newscaster based out of San Diego during the 1970's. Burgundy serves as the de facto leader of his station's all-male crew, and is admired across the city for his impeccable style and uncanny ability to read off a teleprompter.
The arrival of ambitious female reporter Veronica Corningstone (played by Christina Applegate) shatters Burgundy's world, as the talented newcomer threatens Burgundy's position as chief news anchor. Suddenly, Burgundy must fight to keep his throne and celebrity status, while dealing with the undeniable affection he feels for his new attractive rival.
In general, however, the storyline takes a back seat to Ferrell's tour de force performance. His portrayal expertly satirizes an era when local news personalities possessed a true local celebrity status. Burgundy hilariously couples a meticulous obsession with his appearance and a completely oblivious attitude towards the news. He eagerly reads everything off the teleprompter without fail, no matter how nonsensical.
Outside of Ferrell, the supporting cast provides an uneven but generally entertaining group of characters. Fred Willard is excellent as Ed Harken, the head of the newsroom, as usual making the most of his limited role. Steve Carell has several uproarious moments as Brick Tamland, the station's dimwitted weather reporter. Also, Applegate is effective with her portrayal of the icy, ambitious Corningstone who begrudgingly holds a soft spot in her heart for Burgundy.
A series of big-name cameos also provide for some particularly memorable moments. Many of the guest stars participate in a frenzied street fight between all of San Diego's news teams -- a scene that includes everything from hand grenades to a trident as weaponry.
The use of a number of musical gems from the '70's throughout the film -- including tracks from Neil Diamond, the Isley Brothers and Kansas, among others -- helps crystallize the setting while also bolstering the movie's tongue-in-cheek attitude. The most unforgettable musical selection comes courtesy of Burgundy and his compatriots, who break out into a mid-conversation a cappella version of the Starland Vocal Band's classic "Afternoon Delight."
Another of the film's high points revolves around a dinner scene with Burgundy and Corningstone. After his repeated attempts to win over his co-worker end in vain, Burgundy elects to join the in-house band on "jazz flute." The resulting manic performance epitomizes Ferrell's all-out devotion to his character, as well as his undeniable comedic talents.
Many of the best portions of "Anchorman" involve scenes where Ferrell finds room to improvise and display the craft and instincts he honed so effectively during his years on "SNL." After the movie commences with the line "The following is based on actual events. Only the names, places and events have been changed" plastered on the screen, Ferrell opens the first few minutes of the picture by simply sitting at his desk and warming up for his next broadcast.
The utterly random nature of his choice of lines to ready himself for the newscast -- such as, "The human torch was denied a bank loan" -- combined with his deadpan delivery makes for some of the film's funniest material. Similarly amusing lines crop up at various points in the movie; for example, at one point Burgundy answers his phone, and, while trying to determine the caller's identity, he queries, "Is this Wilt Chamberlain?"
While consistently amusing, "Anchorman" is not a perfect comedic achievement. Much of the movie is hit or miss, though the total number of effective gags significantly outweighs the bombs. Consequently, the missed jokes slide by without much notice; rarely during the picture does a lengthy period elapse without a successful joke.
Clearly, the film relies predominantly on the comedic talents of Ferrell. As a result, fans of Ferrell will be consistently satisfied, but those who do not connect with his humor will thereby miss out. On the opening night presentation of "Anchorman," while many of the audience members laughed heartily for much of the film's 91 minutes, a portion of the crowd only reacted positively on a spotty basis.
That said, "Anchorman" stands out as a highly entertaining comedy, and it easily takes a place alongside "Old School" and "Zoolander" in Ferrell's increasingly impressive compilation of movies.
