SNL GOES TO THE MOVIES!

By: B -- 7/17/04

Anchorman, starring Will Ferrell, is being marketed as a hilarious new movie. While it is definitely new, and occasionally hilarious, there is no way this is a movie. While I may refer to it as a movie, or even a film, please note that it is neither. It is a 91 minute collection of skits, either too ridiculous or too silly to make it on Saturday Night Live.

Former SNL head writer Adam McKay co-wrote and directed Anchorman, which takes us back to a time when, according to the movie, "Only men were allowed to read the news." It focuses on the life of Ron Burgundy (Will Ferrell, who also co-wrote), San Diego's top news personality. His newscast dominance is put into jeopardy when Veronica Corningstone (Christina Applegate) is hired to bring diversity to the news team. Burgundy quickly falls in love with her but quickly learns, as we all do, that love is a bitch. As Corningstone threatens his position as the city's top news anchor, Burgundy attempts to reinforce his supremacy as well as deal with his love for her. Burgundy's news team includes Champ Kind (David Koechner), Brian Fantana (Paul Rudd) and Brick Tamland (Steve Carell).

Anchorman emerges as a vehicle to play out all of McKay's old skits. One could pull about ten separate skits from Anchorman, quite possibly work that never made it on SNL. Each one would be hilarious in its own right, needing no background to understand the humor. As a film, Anchorman is a silly, forgettable farce. But don't think of it as a film. It is simply a dozen separate scenes barely woven together. The result is silly, but hilarious nonetheless.

Ferrell plays to his familiar strong points: detached arrogance and random, odd phrases of expression. When he is in love with Corningstone, he refers to her as his "sweet chinchilla." When he hates her, she is a "pirate hooker" and should move to "Whore Island." This is the niche that Ferrell has created, and it is used ad nauseam in Anchorman. Though he is very funny, his character isn't developed enough to be a lead. Is he a ladies man or a dunce? Kind-hearted or a jerk? Is he a stellar anchor, or a buffoon? Ferrell swims between personality types at random, maximizing the laughs but failing to create an actual persona.

Every actor in Anchorman, including Ferrell, is hilarious, creating jokes seemingly once every few seconds. There are numerous cameos from some of the most popular comedic actors, but the best laughs come from Steve Carell, who plays mentally challenged weatherman Brick Tamland. Every sentence that comes out of Carell's mouth is hilarious; he steals nearly every scene he is in.

The soundtrack is an enjoyable blend of 70s rock, blending sounds from many of the popular genres of the time. Tracks from the likes of the Isley Brothers, Bread, Kansas and Neil Diamond give a familiar but authentic tone to the movie. The songs seem to have been carefully selected and add to the style.

Anchorman is a populist movie. It seems to be the new slapstick: light on the physical comedy but heavy on easy, juvenile jokes. Prank phone calls, humans talking to animals, gang fights, swearing on television; this isn't exactly innovative humor. This film is a nightmare for critics, but don't expect those involved in the making of this film to care. It is nothing more than a silly collection of skits, and attempting to look any deeper into the film will be a waste of time. Believe me, I've tried.

POP RATING: 8

CRITICAL RATING: 3.5

B'S RATING: 6

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