Really funny, laugh-out-loud moments are few in this movie, featuring Will Ferrell as a smug, airheaded 70s anchorman whose scripts go from his TelePrompter to his mouth without ever actually visiting his brain. Ferrell is genial enough, in a mild way that at least leaves you feeling like something hilarious could happen any second, and the director pulls a few amusing stunts, but what's missing here is any willingness to jump onto a concept and ride it all the way into the surreal. (The laughs are superficial enough that I'm not sure there's anything in the film that could sustain real zaniness, a point underscored by a manic cameo by Jack Black, who appears to have zoomed in out of a different comedy altogether.) Also, if I could shoot whichever SNL writer first developed the idea that a setup in a comedy bit which is deliberately awkward and unfunny is therefore on a meta-level the funniest thing ever, I would. However, Anchorman moves quickly, keeps the gross-out jokes in their proper place, and is ultimately good-hearted enough not to offend. It's a weekend afternoon rental.
Posted by Sarah T. at July 20, 2004 12:09 PM | TrackBack