Cool News
A Review Of Will Ferrell In ANCHORMAN!!
Hi, everyone. "Moriarty" here with some Rumblings From The Lab...
Congratulations to Will Ferrell and his wife for having a baby about twelve days ago, and more congrats to Will and Adam McKay because it sounds like their baby, ANCHORMAN, is killing every time they test screen it right now. Here’s our latest look at the movie:
Hey, Harry. You may call me Bungion Boy. You’ve heard from me a few times but I’ve never been printed (until now?). Tonight I had the extreme pleasure of seeing a little film called "Anchorman" at the AMC 42nd Street theatre in New York. I’ve really grown fond of Will’s antics over the last few years. He certainly pushed "Old School" from a pleasant movie to a very funny one, held his own in "Elf," and has had some very funny cameos in many films of recent memory, the most recent being "Starsky and Hutch." It would seem that we have much to look forward to, especially with his role of Ignatius in David Gordon Green’s upcoming "Confederacy of Dunces" which I pray will get off the ground as soon as possible. But this film will truly be a test of can he carry an adult comedy on his shoulders, and I’m proud to say that he will pass with flying colors.
The plot (spoilers): well, there isn’t much of a plot. Will is Ron Burgundy, lead anchor of Action News, along with the team of the suave Paul Rudd (back to hilarious antics more like "Wet Hot", less like "Friends"), the idiot man-child Steve Carell (who almost walks away with the entire movie. Every line he says got a huge laugh), and the closeted cowboy David Koechner, (who is the weakest of the group but still manages to get in a few laughs). Enter Christina Applegate as Veronica Corningstone, the up and coming reporter who dreams of becoming an anchor. Applegate wasn’t given much to work with in the role, but the few gags that she is given are handled very nicely and she ends up being a good foil for Ferrell, although it’s not Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell. Applegate is repulsed by Ron at first, but it’s not long before he seduces her and then enter a world of happy, animated sex: ("Look! The most beautiful rainbow in the world!"–"Do me on it!"). After Ron misses a broadcast (in a tragically funny sequence) and Veronica fills in for him and a war breaks out between the two of them, with wonderful quips that could only take place in a magical time before sexual harassment. Those were the days. Of course things get out of hand and things take place and the film ends with a climactic rescue scene at the San Diego Zoo. All of this rather implausible, but it doesn’t really matter.
Ordinarily, a film with virtually no plot would not work so well. What it lacks in story it makes up for in hilarious characters and wall to wall laughs. I would rank this above the recent Todd Phillips movies, which may have had more structure, but fewer laughs. Will carries the film very nicely, but I’m not sure if the character of Ron Burgundy could have been strong enough to hold up the film if it weren’t for the rest of the ensemble cast of hilarious characters. Like I said, Carell and Rudd knock it out of the park. Vince Vaughn has some few but funny scenes as Ron’s rival. The brilliant Fred Willard and underrated Chris Parnell have small roles. Even the dog is great. The dog, Harry. And then there is a galaxy of cameos from the likes of Jack Black, and (in one of the funniest scenes) Luke Wilson, Ben Stiller, and Tim Robbins(!) play rival local new anchors who meet to fight in a News Team Gang War. It must be seen to be believed. Again, none of this makes sense, but it’s so very funny.
Anyways, this summer looks to be a mixed bag. There will be the joys of "Shrek 2", "Spider Man 2', ‘Harry Potter 3', but also iffy films like "I, Robot", and "Van Helsing", both of which I become more wary of by the minute. It will be so refreshing to have a really funny comedy like Anchorman to be around in the summer, which might for once allow a comedy to be a top earner of the summer. It’s all up to you now. Help Will become the star he is destined to become!I hope this movie is as great as that trailer. Will’s poised to finally be a huge star, and I can only imagine what he’ll do with that sort of freedom.
"Moriarty" out.
-
+ Expand All
-
FUCK YOU
-
Mar 19, 2004 8:20:57 AM CST
For a good laugh go to: http://www.nationallampoon.com/nl/08_fea
by wee willie
You'll kill yourself laughing. What does this have to do with Anchorman? Laughter my friends, laughter.
-
Mar 19, 2004 8:21:06 AM CST
What the fuck is with these asshole reviewers who insist on list
by minderbinder
What's the fucking point? Just tell us there are cameos and let us find out for ourselves. It's supposed to be a review, not a checklist. And Harry Potter 3 looks to be one of the better movies of the summer, haven't you seen the trailer? Big improvement over the first two.
-
As the subject implies, I am hunting for a good performance from Will. I feel that he is one of the most overrated comedians in the business today. His humor is forced and very self-aware. Every gag he performs is done with a "Look At ME! Aren't I Funny!" mentality. Anyone who feels that Elf was anything more than a train wreck was either sleeping through the movie or sucking up to Will's ass. The script was abysmal and the movie was manipulative and predictable with very few genuine laughs to be had. I believed in none of the performances. Absolute crap. Looks like Anchorman is more of the same. I will probably be dragged to this film by friends so I will try to keep an open mind. Come on Will, I saw glimmers of talent on SNL when you just cut loose and performed rather than showed off. I'm hunting for the good Will!
-
Looks like it's official: there must be a Wilson brother in every other movie made.
-
This "climactic rescue scene at the Bronx Zoo" is a replacement for the original ending. They had to go back and do reshoots for the last 35-40 minutes of the film because test audiences reacted negatively to the original ending. As a result, several of the cameos have been cut out (Maya Rudolph, Chuck D, and Kevin Corrigan as "The Alarm Clock Gang", whose story was to take up the third act of the film). I guess in a movie as nonsensical as this one, they can afford to chuck the last third of the movie and try for something funnier. It doesn't sound like it's hurt the movie too much.
-
I was there too. It was funny, but pretty silly. Will is forcing it a little but it still made me laugh. The zoo scene did feel tacked on. It makes sense that it wasn't in the original cut. Still was funny, but not as good as Elf.
-
I think the reviewer speaks the truth. So did the other 500 or so people that saw it with my at the screening at the Block in Orange County, CA. Will Ferrell made the movie, but his supporting cast--especially Carrill--put the flick over the top.
(Semi-Spoiler) They cut the third act of the movie out? That explains why none of the scenes from the trailer were in the cut I saw, I guess. The movie did seem kind of short, come to think of it. Still, I liked the ending. Made me laugh.
BTW, this flick was way better than Elf, which was saved by only by Ferrell. -
Mar 20, 2004 5:30:46 PM CST
I was looking forward to reading that......spoiled by a plant
by silent_light
-
Mar 21, 2004 2:23:51 AM CST
I'm not a PLANT and I've grown fond of Wil's antics over the yea
by tall_boy
tis true.
-
I too have grown rather fond of old will's antics. not in the last two years, mind, more like the last two months, since i saw old school. i love ferrel, and i love todd phillips (is he involved in this?) For anyone bashing Phillips, check out Hated- G.G Allin shits himself, it is truly awe-inspiring in its deranged mayhem. by the way, McG to remake once upon a time in america, and gellar in In The Relam Of The Senses remake? Check it out here - www.geocities.com/mondoirlando
-
He's so hot right now, I'm not sure meself...pretty much the only movie star launched in the last 10 years of the show, right? Mike Myers and Adam Sandler were gone by then? Once upon a time, Eddie Murphy was the biggest. Long time since he's been funny. Bill Murray strikes me as Numero Uno. Belushi was good afore he croaked. Farley was OK afore he croaked. Chevy Chase had a few hits -- "Caddyshack" "Vacation," "Fletch," before tanking. Dan Ackroyd: funny as hell on TV; sucked at the movies, but co-starred his way into megabucks and Donna Dixon's pants ("Blues Bros" with Belushi, "Trading Places" with Murphy, "Ghostbusters" with Murray, "Spies Like Us" with Chase, "Driving Miss Daisy" with Tandy) David Spade: not much without Farley. Rob Schneider: not much without Sandler. And don't forget: PISCOPO! ("Johnny Dangerously") Billy Crystal and Chris Guest were SNLers, but not discovered there; "Guest Comedy Gods." Truth be told, Will Ferrell is as good as virtually everybody on that list with the possible exception of Murray. If he lasts...
-
I will have to agree with timgonmad. Will Ferrel IS one of the most overrated actors out there today. Acting like a two-year old and running around naked will only carry you so far and I can't wait 'til Ferrel come crashing down in a hail of firey failure. I refuse to watch anything with him it it anymore. When he first became popular, I gave him a chance, but he just isn't funny. I will admit, some of his SNL stuff was funny (Blue Oyster Cult comes to mind; that stupid cheerleader routine with Cheri O'Teri does not), but even that was so rare that I get physically ill when I see him being "funny." Yes, this movie would make a bunch of money if it were just Ferrel sitting on the crapper for 90 miniutes (which it probably is), but that doesn't make it any less of a shame that there are people who will pay to see Anchorman twice when they could be spending their money on more useful things, like buying needles to poke their own eyes out. God help us all.
-
Here's to hoping that we'll see Ferrell as "W" again! His portrayals on SNL were hilarious and dead spot on. Particularly loved the White House in flames bit, calling for daddy, oh, wait, that's really happening now... nevermind.
-
anyone see the new stuff on the webpage www.anchorman-themovie.com . . . there's some pretty funny character bios, with more on the way. does anyone know who writes this? is it will ferrell?
Readers Talkback
User Login
Top Talkbacks
- Whitney Houston 1963 - 2012 -- 325 total posts 322 posts
- New JUDGE DREDD post production footage pops up -- 106 total posts 106 posts
- HANNA's Saoirse Ronan to boss around seven little people -- 63 total posts 60 posts
- Does ‘SNL’ Rhyme With ‘Deschanel’?? Learn Which SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE Vet Hosts After Sexy Zooey!! -- 74 total posts 58 posts
- There's a STAR TREK video game that is going to lead into JJ's STAR TREK 2 apparently... -- 159 total posts 51 posts
- If the Behind the Scenes Pics of the Day drops her pen, pick it up, but don’t look at her legs or else it will be on your record. -- 47 total posts 41 posts
- AVENGERS enemy revealed as pink boardgame pieces... You might suffer some form of elation... SPOILERS!!! -- 161 total posts 34 posts
- To Commemorate The 3D Release Of STAR WARS EPISODE I: THE PHANTOM MENACE, George Lucas Wants You To Know...Greedo Shoots First!! -- 488 total posts 33 posts
- Friday Brings SWEEPS DAY NINE!! Gab Here About Tonight’s FRINGE!! Plus Einstein on TIM, Wiig On PORTLANDIA, MAHER, CLONE, GIFTED, GRIMM, SPARTACUS, SUPERNATURAL, GOLD RUSH And More!! -- 121 total posts 23 posts
- Here's The Red Band Trailer For Drafthouse Films' THE FP! -- 70 total posts 20 posts