Anchorman 2, the sequel to the 2004 cult classic, returns Will Ferrell as the thick-headed but carefully quaffed Ron Burgundy.

'Anchorman 2' Returns With Ron Burgundy

It’s now the 80s and Ron and Veronica Corningstone (Christina Applegate) are co-anchoring a show together in New York City. Marital and career trouble ensues for the anchorman when his wife gets a promotion and he gets the slip. With old pals weatherman Brick Tamland (Steve Carrell), ladies’ man Brian Fantana (Paul Rudd) and sportscaster Champ Kind (David Koechner), Ron endeavors to wage a comeback with a 24-hour news channel.

The Anchorman sequel was highly anticipated with massive expectations. Overall, critics are relatively satisfied with what Farrell and director Adam McKay brought to the screen for the second go around of the comedy premise.

Critics Review 'Anchorman' Sequel

"The film’s strong suit, however, is its unhinged, anything-for-a-laugh audacity. If somebody thinks there ought to be a 10-minute detour from the central plot to blind Ron and exile him to a remote lighthouse, that happens. Would it be entertaining to see him and his pals tossed about, slo-mo, in a crashing Winnebago full of boiling deep-fry grease, bowling balls and live scorpions? In it goes. The screenplay trashes comedy conventions — the friends-lost-and-regained formula, the dad’s race to his child’s recital — with infectious glee.” – Colin Cover, Minneapolis Star Tribune

"Considering the improvisatory talents — even genius — of Ferrell and his co-stars, it’s no surprise that laughs abound in Anchorman 2: Right off the bat, during Burgundy’s voice warmups before a newscast, just the simple phrases “bat mitzvah” and “foot rub” achieve heights of improbable hilarity. As expected, most of the humor in the film — which was written by Ferrell and the director, Adam McKay — skews toward the stupid, silly and slapstick.” – Anne Hornaday, The Washington Post

"Anchorman 2 also has a message, denouncing our fascination with non-events (cue an O.J. Simpson-like white Bronco chase.). Its ethics fit like a Chihuahua-shaped hairpiece. […] Anchorman 2 joins Caddyshack II, Airplane II, Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo and Arthur 2: On the Rocks on the list of unnecessary sequels. Like the bloated channels it parodies, the movie stretches to find something to say, then settles for stupid.” – Joe Neumaier, The New York Daily News

“It's not unusual for comedies to sink to silly-stupid depths. A rare few are bona fide silly-funny. Anchorman, and now its follow-up, fall into the latter category of inspired lunacy. The movie cleverly spoofs the 24-hour TV news cycle, as well as sexism and racism in the workplace. Not every scene is equally funny, of course, but most of the comic antics generate laughs.” – Claudia Puig, USA Today

Anchorman 2 is currently in wide release.

– Chelsea Regan

Get Uinterview's FREE iPhone App For Daily News Updates here.

Get the FREE Uinterview iPad app here and watch our videos anywhere.