Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy was a sleeper hit in 2004, and has since grown in appreciation to cult classic status. Hailed as one the funniest and most quotable films of all time, it catapulted the careers of all involved, and cemented the character of Ron Burgundy into popular culture. So Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues has a lot to live up to.

Will Ferrell returns as Ron Burgundy, self-obsessed news anchorman, rounding up the old Channel 4 news team to be part of the first ever 24-hour news network.
Happily, the film stacks favourably with its predecessor. Anchorman 2 both recaptures some of the magic of the original, whilst also breaking new comedic ground; it strikes an effective balance between the two.

Fans of Anchorman will rejoice at seeing their favourite characters again, and there’s great delight to be taken in some of the scenarios that, while lifted from the first film, are expanded in invigorating ways (a particularly drawn-out scene featuring a slew of fantastic cameos springs to mind).

The style of humour remains: Anchorman is over-the-top, goofy, often surreal and decidedly random. One of the emotional highlights is a love song to a shark. The film also features a new element of biting satire in its depiction of cable news, which is a welcome addition. In summary: Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues is a fantastic good time.

‘Life is a journey you never have to take alone.’

Mark (Robbins), Adam (Ruffalo) and Neil (Gad) are all sex addicts at various stages of their addiction and/or twelve step recovery. Mark has a long-term partner but has a strained relationship with his son. Adam is just starting out a new relationship, his first in over four years. Neil is only just starting to come to terms with his illness, and forms a bond with a fellow addict Dede (Alecia Moore aka Pink). All three are in search of the same thing: human connection.

This is a wonderful heart-warming observational movie. In previous films the topic of sex addiction has been presented as either tragic (Shame, also a brilliant film) or comedic (Choke). This one is neither – it skirts the darker elements of the addiction, but is also a romantic film. The whole cast are perfect, from the respected Paltrow, Robbins and Ruffalo to the relatively new-to-the-scene Gad and Moore.

In many ways, it’s a companion piece to last year’s Silver Linings Playbook. That film was ‘everyone is a little crazy’, where this one goes for ‘everyone is a little addicted to something’. It all comes down to the tagline at the start of this review, and you’d be truly missing out if you skipped seeing this wonderfully humanitarian love story.