Helaine, Steffie and I went to see Anchorman – The Legend of Ron Burgundy tonight in North Haven. It was enjoyable – though this is certainly no Oscar contender.
I thought I already knew the story, yet it was different. I was unhappy with Christina Applegate’s character, who falls into bed with Ron much too easily. Actually, I was unhappy with the story in general, which is the weakest link here.
Before I go on, let me answer the most asked question. Do I know any anchor like Ron Burgundy? Superficial anchors? Sure. Superficial and dumb? No. I’m not saying Ron Burgundy types don’t exist. I just haven’t run into them yet.
There were loads of Saturday Night Live cast members in this movie, and by and large they were under used. I’m a big Fred Armisen fan, but his part (similar to a character he plays on SNL) was pretty weak. Same goes for Chris Parnell, playing Fred Willard’s constant companion/lackey.
No one plays Fred Willard better than Fred does.
If you’ve seen Will Ferrell on any of the commercials or interviews, you know what he’s all about. This character is one dimensional.
The biggest standout was Steve Carrel, from the Daily Show, as the imbecilic weatherman. He actually didn’t do anything remotely connected with the weather, so I’m still safe from comparisons. His dead pan characterization of a guy who just doesn’t get anything is priceless. Very impressive.
Also excellent was Jack Black, in a cameo as a biker who drop kicks Ron’s dog off a highway bridge! The dog, Baxter, wasn’t too shabby either, and since he saves the day in the end, Helaine and Steffie were thrilled.
Interestingly, one of the most previewed scenes, where Ron slaps the tush of a woman who then exclaims, “Mr. Burgundy,” wasn’t in the movie.
We sat near the back of the theater, but not far enough back. A group of teens behind us kept up a running commentary, while keeping time with their feet on our seat backs.
There were two enticing coming attractions. One “Mr. 3000” with Bernie Mac looks very funny. The other, “Wimbledon,” credited to the Bridget Jones production team, looks like a fun date movie/chick flick.