**Before I write my review, I want to make it known that I went into Anchorman 2 expecting over the topness, funny one liners, plenty of gags, and generally having low expectations given the trailers and over advertisement.**
Despite having already low expectations, I was STILL disappointed.
Happy Days coined the term "jumping the shark," generally used for a television show that is declining in quality and attempts to use an outrageous plot device to keep viewer's interest. Anchorman 2 has not only jumped the shark, but it has given us a modern update to that term, "Bottle Feeding the shark." Not wanting to believe the movie could be so atrocious, I am actually trying to convince myself the shark feeding sequence was the film poking fun at itself and realizing it was terrible. If that was the case, it's a hilarious satirical movie. If not, it's a steaming pile of dung, which I suspect is the case.
THE GOOD:
THE BAD:
THE UGLY:
If it weren't for Brick being reintroduced in this film, I'd probably give it 4 MAYBE even 5 stars, but I actually felt mentally abused by how annoying his character was. Long story short, I could probably write a novel on how awful this film was, but this review satisfies my need to vent. If you value your time and don't want to waste it, do NOT see this film. If you must see it; Don't waste $10 or even a matinée admission price on this garbage, just red box it.
Despite having already low expectations, I was STILL disappointed.
Happy Days coined the term "jumping the shark," generally used for a television show that is declining in quality and attempts to use an outrageous plot device to keep viewer's interest. Anchorman 2 has not only jumped the shark, but it has given us a modern update to that term, "Bottle Feeding the shark." Not wanting to believe the movie could be so atrocious, I am actually trying to convince myself the shark feeding sequence was the film poking fun at itself and realizing it was terrible. If that was the case, it's a hilarious satirical movie. If not, it's a steaming pile of dung, which I suspect is the case.
THE GOOD:
- The celebrity cameos were mildly, and I mean very mildly entertaining but they came far too late to save the movie.
- A few laugh out loud sequences (the first 30 minutes).
- Ummmmm....Nothing else really. :/
THE BAD:
- Just not a funny movie despite trying so hard. Forced humor and a truly awful script written by Will Ferrell. It seems like Will Ferrell sat in a focus group of adolescent males aged 12-17 and put whatever they deemed "funny" into his script. Plenty of penis and vagina jokes for you potty humor enthusiasts out there!
- The black jokes and black dinner sequence were clichéd and boring. Everyone has heard a white person or comedian imitate a black person thousands of times and seeing Will Ferrell do it is not much funnier. I'm not easily offended, but more easily offended people would feel uncomfortable with these scenes in the movie.
- No quotable quotes. Anyone who saw Anchorman #1 can at LEAST rattle off a, "Stay Classy San Diego," or a "60% of the time it works every time." quote. No such luck here; there are no memorable quotes or sayings in this one. There was also a feeble attempt to recreate the "sex panther" scene with Brian's secret drawer, but it was forced and stupid. You can bet that there will be a product line of Anchorman condoms coming out though as a result...
- The film randomly tried to get serious with its whole, "The American people deserve the truth, etc." line at the end. I agree with the sentiment, but it was poorly placed in the movie and came off as a forced message.
- Bad script, unfunny characters, and the same tired situations are basically what sunk this film. Nothing good about it in all honesty.
THE UGLY:
- Brick aka Steve Carell. Straight up. He was tolerable in the first film because his randomness was well timed and just so out of the blue that all you could do was laugh. In the sequel it is flat out annoying. I have never felt so much disdain for a fictional character in my life. From the first "death" scene to the last "marriage" scene I despised every second of Steve Carell's screen time. Whoever thought to give Brick a love interest should be exiled from film making and possibly planet earth for all of eternity. I guess it was their poor attempt to give Brick's character another dimension other than just seeming like a retard the whole time. Ugh, his love interest was a mix of Brick and Kristen Wiig's character from Bridesmaids. To sum it up a combo of awkward and ANNOYING.
If it weren't for Brick being reintroduced in this film, I'd probably give it 4 MAYBE even 5 stars, but I actually felt mentally abused by how annoying his character was. Long story short, I could probably write a novel on how awful this film was, but this review satisfies my need to vent. If you value your time and don't want to waste it, do NOT see this film. If you must see it; Don't waste $10 or even a matinée admission price on this garbage, just red box it.