Film Review: Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues

A belated follow-up to the much-loved Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues is an entertaining affair, even though it does not match the laughs of the original.

It’s the 1980s, and Ron Burgundy is a successful news anchor with his wife Veronica Corningstone. When Ron is asked to front the first 24-hour news channel, he sets about assembling his old team…

The fact that director Adam McKay and the main cast have returned for the sequel gives Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues a sense of credibility that other sequels lack. Some aspects of the film work well, whilst others fall flat.

The narrative of Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues feels a bit slack. The film’s central premise of the 24-hour news channel is a good one; there are numerous jokes surrounding this. The film does meander a bit, producing good scenes as well as duds.

Just shy of two hours, Anchorman 2 is rather long for a comedy. The second half of the film feels a little bloated, although Anchorman 2 recovers from this.

The humour in McKay’s film does work for the most part. The jokes are frequent, although perhaps not as funny as the writers think. Jokes or situations that were memorable from the first film are slightly overplayed in an attempt to replicate the humour.

The camaraderie between Will Ferrell and the rest of the main cast is evident, with Steve Carell and Paul Rudd reprises their roles well. There is an overload of celebrity cameos in one particular scene, but other than this the new additions to the cast do a decent job.

Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues will certainly attract fans of the first film. The sequel will also satisfy to a certain extent. Anchorman 2 does not manage to replicate the humour of the first, although it gives a good effort.

Stuff To Look At

Plenty of stuff on upcoming movies this week, including the brand new Anchorman: The Legend Continues trailer, Disney’s Frozen, and more…

Anchorman: The Legend Continues

Here is the latest Anchorman: The Legend Continues trailer. Almost ten years later, one of the funniest comedies of the 2000s gets a sequel. The original cast are joined by a host of other stars, including Harrison Ford, Tina Fey and Sacha Baron Cohen. Anchorman: The Legend Continues hits the big screen on 20th December 2013.

Frozen

Here is the first trailer for Frozen, the latest animated comedy from Walt Disney Animation Studios. The trailer reveals little about the plot, which revolves around a girl trying to find her sister in a kingdom besieged by an eternal winter. Frozen is due for release on 6th December 2013.

The LEGO Movie

The first trailer for The LEGO Movie was released today. Featuring the voices of Will Ferrell, Morgan Freeman, Liam Neeson and Elizabeth Banks, The LEGO Movie will be released in UK cinemas on 14th February 2014.

The Wolf of Wall Street

There was a palpable excitement (at least virtually) when this trailer for The Wolf of Wall Street was released on Monday. There is little not to like in this trailer of Martin Scorsese’s latest film. Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Matthew McConaughey, Jonah Hill (and a monkey!), The Wolf of Wall Street is out 17th January 2014. I can’t wait.

The Wolverine

Here is the latest trailer for The Wolverine. I wonder if one day Hugh Jackman will become too old to play Wolverine. But for this upcoming film he still looks the part. The Wolverine will be released in 3D on 25th July 2013.

300: Rise of an Empire

300: Rise of an Empire is a prequel to the 2006 hit 300. The film has the same look as its predecessor, even though Zack Snyder is not at the helm for this adventure. 300: Rise of an Empire is due for release in March 2014.

Frances Ha

Here is the trailer for Noah Baumbach’s Frances Ha, co-written and starring Greta Gerwig. Worthy of the praise it has hitherto received, the film explores the friendships of a dance company apprentice in New York. Frances Ha is released in UK cinemas on 26th July 2013.

Despicable Me 2

Above is a short featurette with Steve Carell exploring the upcoming animated sequel Despicable Me 2. I am kind of relieved that there is a unicorn in this film as well. Despicable Me 2 hits UK screens on 28th June 2013.

Film Review: Casa de mi Padre

A spoof of low-budget 1970s Mexican movies, Casa de mi Padre is a lot of fun. Not quite as laugh-out-loud hilarious as viewers may hope, Matt Piedmont’s film is entertaining throughout.

Armando Alvarez is a simple rancher, in the shadow of Raul, his more successful brother. Raul returns to the ranch with his fiance Sonia, just as their father is suffering financial difficulties. Painting himself as a business man, Raul’s dealings are more shady than he lets on. His business brings the Alvarez family into contact with Onzo, a notorious drug lord…

There is a sense of fun and silliness that imbues the whole of Casa de mi Padre. The film is fairly typical of the output of actor and producer Will Ferrell, in terms of comedy style. Those who are not keen on Anchorman and the like are unlikely to be impressed by this offering.

From the very beginning of the film, the intentions of Casa de mi Padre are made clear. The film sole purpose is to make the audience laugh. From the pre-credits scene, Casa de mi Padre is offered as a spoof of Mexican films from the 1970s. The mockery is in good humour rather than derision. The sites of humour are in fact things that could be attributed to any low-budget cinema.

The silliness of Casa de mi Padre is refreshing, compared to many of the film’s contemporaries. Piedmont appears to hark back to a time when cinema was not so polished. Although this is done to generate humour, it makes a nice change from the overly slick films that dominate Hollywood.

Will Ferrell is game for laughs as ever, starring as protagonist Armando. However, it is Diego Luna and Gael García Bernal who really delight with their outlandish performances. The music featured in the film is great, and often amusing.

Undoubtedly, more laughs would have been welcome. As an enjoyable spoof, Casa de mi Padre does the trick.

Trailer Round-Up

This week has seen the release of the first trailer for new Bond movie Skyfall and the teaser for Anchorman 2. Also featured are The Campaign, Killer Joe and Cosmopolis.

Skyfall

Well isn’t this exciting? Albeit with less of the unreserved glamour of the Roger Moore days, Bond is back in what’s looks to be another frenetic adventure. The tube train excerpt is sure to strike fear in the heart of any London commuter. Quantum of Solace was a bit disappointing, but hopefully director Sam Mendes will return Daniel Craig’s Bond to the form of Casino Royale. Skyfall is released on 26th October 2012.

Anchorman 2

A belated sequel to a much-loved film is always tricky. Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy was a fantastic film, so the idea of a sequel is received with equal parts glee and skepticism. This teaser reveals nothing really about the film itself, but it is great to see Will Ferrell reunited with Paul Rudd, Steve Carrell and David Koechner. Hopefully that hot piece Baxter will also return for the sequel.

The Campaign

Before Anchorman 2 is released, here is another slice of Will Ferrell. The Campaign is a new comedy starring Ferrell, Zach Galifianakis and Jason Sudeikis. Ferrell’s line during the trash talking sequence alone makes me want to go and see this film. The Campaign is out on 28th September 2012.

Killer Joe

This looks like it will be a combination of tense and absurd. William Friedkin directs Killer Joe, based on a play by Tracy Letts. The film stars Matthew McConaughey, Emile Hirsch and Juno Temple. Killer Joe is released in cinemas on 29th June 2012.

Cosmopolis

David Cronenberg’s last film, A Dangerous Method, was a letdown. From this brief teaser, Cosmopolis immediately looks inherently more Cronenberg, which is definitely a good thing. Starring Robert Pattinson, Paul Giamatti, Samantha Morton and Juliette Binoche, Cosmopolis is released on 15th June 2012.

Trailer Round-Up

I have four trailers from the past week to share. As well as the full Prometheus trailer which debuted last Sunday, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, The Lucky One and Casa di mi Padre are all due for release in the next few months.

Prometheus

I was lucky enough to see this trailer in 3D this week, and it looks great. Prometheus is a prequel to Alien, directed by Ridley Scott. Scott’s last few films have not been overly memorable, so perhaps returning to one of his most successful films is a good thing. Prometheus stars Charlize Theron, Michael Fassbender and Noomi Rapace, and is out on 1st June 2012.

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter

Directed by Timur Bekmambetov and produced by Tim Burton, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter is a rather interesting prospect. Pitting the infamous US president as a Van Helsing-type vampire hunter sounds like a great idea for an action thriller. The film stars Dominic Cooper, Benjamin Walker, and Anthony Mackie, who does not get enough decent roles. Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter is out 3rd August 2012.

The Lucky One

From the first few moments of the trailer, it becomes immediately apparent that The Lucky One is based on a Nicholas Sparks’ novel. It just has that look. Zac Efron stars as a US marine who tries to track down a woman who’s photograph he credits with keeping him alive. The Lucky One is out on 2nd May 2012.

Casa di mi Padre

Will Ferrell Armando Alvarez in the Spanish-language Casa di mi Padre. According to the trailer, the comedy is from the same team behind Anchorman, which bodes well. The film looks to be a satire of Spanish-language soap operas; the trailer certainly plays on this. Casa di mi Padre is due for release in June 2012.

Film Review: The Other Guys

The Other Guys is not as funny as Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy. That is not to say it isn’t a decent comedy, but merely that it does not reach the peaks of hilarity of Adam McKay’s 2004 film. Contending with the likes of Date Night and Dinner for Schmucks, however, The Other Guys becomes one of the better comedies of 2010.

Detective Terry Hoitz is sick of doing paperwork for hero cops Highsmith and Danson. When the opportunity arises, Hoitz and his reluctant partner Allen Gamble attempt to fill their shoes, but things don’t go according to plan…

 The Other Guys combines elements of the buddy cop movie, comedy and action to produce a very entertaining film. Whilst the narrative is linear and fairly predictable, the film amuses sufficiently so that this is not a problem. For example, juxtaposing a headstrong, aggressive cop with a goofy and more placid partner is not highly original, yet the relationship works due to a good script and chemistry between the pair.

The Other Guys is successful because of the various strands of humour at play. On a surface level, the antagonism (intentional or not) of Gamble towards Hoitz, and Hoitz reaction to this is a great source of amusement, particularly in the first half of the film. Elsewhere, the humour is sometimes juvenile but good fun nonetheless. The multiple references featured in the film (everything from Derek Jeter to Enron to Star Wars) are also a site for comedy, although sadly a number of these may be lost on some audience members. Finally, The Other Guys works well in the way in the way it skewers the conventions of the action and crime film. Hardened cop Hoitz has become adept in ballet only to make fun of the kids who took ballet, whilst Captain Gene Mauch also works a part-time job in retail.

Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg work well as the odd couple, with Wahlberg sending up his alpha male image. Eva Mendes performs well as Gamble’s unlikely wife. The Other Guys provides a welcome return to the mainstream for Michael Keaton, whose flair for comedy remains as strong as ever.

Coming at the end of a season bereft of good comedies, The Other Guys is an excellent caper; perfect if you want to switch your brain off and have a few laughs.