Anchorman: The Legend Continues (2013), PG-13, 3 stars

Well...you know these characters if you have seen the first movie.

The chips are down. Many people may bet if a sequel to a comedy may be really bad. I mean there are a lot of bad sequels to many good comedies: The Hangover Part II and Part III, Arthur 2, Grown Ups 2, Smokey and the Bandit Part 2, The Odd Couple II, et cetera, et cetera. It seems that many directors and actors who want to work on a sequel tend to focus more on the money rather than the material and jokes itself. Anchorman was a wonderful comedy and it would become impossible to make a good sequel, but, the result is astonishing because it is a funny sequel.

The narrator begins to continue Ron Burgundy's journey as the movie starts in New York City in 1980 where Ron is now married to Veronica Corningstone (Christina Applegate). They both have jobs and are doing news at the World Broadcast news station. After their broadcast is over, their boss, Mack Tannen (Harrison Ford, that's the only cameo I'm going to reveal on this review), calls both Veronica and Ron up to his office and Veronica is promoted to full-time anchorwoman and Ron is fired, calling him the worst anchorman he's ever seen. When they are both at home, Ron and Veronica argue so loudly that it wakes their son up and he gives her an ultimatum-to pick him or her job. What do you think happened?

Ron is fired again six months later at SeaWorld where he says inappropriate things and drinks in front of the crowd full of families. Freddie Shapp (Dylan Baker) sees Ron and offers him a job at the Global News Network which is a 24-hour news program. Ron thinks it is stupid but then he accepts the job and then he starts to find his old crew: Bryan, Champ and Brick (Paul Rudd, David Koechner, Steve Carrell).

The now-reunited gang arrives at the Global News Network station where they see a lot of regular newscasters, including infamous Jack Lyme (James Marsden), a mean and arrogant and competitive newscaster. He and Ron do not get along really well. Freddie takes the gang to meet his new boss, Linda Jackson (Meagan Good), an attractive and strong woman. Ron states the fact that she is black and the gang's afraid of her but she does not take any childish crap and sends them off to do their work.

Ron goes back to Veronica to patch things up with her, but he discovers that she is with a psychologist named Gary (Greg Kinnear). Ron is jealous of Gary because of his intelligence and helpful advice. But, Walter, Ron's and Veronica's son, sees Ron and Ron gives him a present which he describes it as a cape. It's humorously lingerie, mainly for Veronica, which Walter plays with and plays superhero with. Can he and Veronica get back together again? Can Ron get back to his charming wit as an anchorman again?

Ron trying to do his job with Veronica.

The first hour of the movie was really funny as some jokes were actually quite more hilarious than the first movie. I will describe the first 20 minutes from the point of view of the audience: there were big laughs almost every single minute or two minutes. It is hard to really do an irreverent satire of the news business, especially the second time. It's like another Naked Gun or Hot Shots! movie in a way. It's basically the build-up to the essential storyline as getting all the characters together.

Will Ferrell is Ron Burgundy. He just does it. He basically improvises and creates so many jokes that the laughter really prevents a viewer to hear the next line from his character or any other character. Everybody else from the first movie is basically in their comfort zone. Marsden is hilarious as the jerk trying to dampen Ron's spirits. Meagan Good is confident and sexy as Ron's boss actually trying to seduce Ron after the ratings for the network are spiking because of he and his gang's credibility. There are a lot of cameos that I was surprised to see and it was fun seeing them.

Again, the first hour is hilarious and was a little better than the first movie. But, the movie as a whole is not as hilarious or as better than the first movie because of the serious issues and tones that come up in the second hour. There's a point in the movie that affect Ron in a dangerous way and it treats that issues hilariously that I did not find it funny. There's a cute sequence of Ron caring for a baby shark and Ron singing a song. But, also Adam McKay, the director, makes the jokes bigger, but it does not necessarily mean that is better. So, as a result, the movie is definitely funny but the story is sort of there where many scenes are focused on many different characters. But, have a great time laughing at Anchorman 2 during the holidays. It's definitely a gift from Will Ferrell and company.

***