“You Deserve the Truth, America” – Ron Burgundy

**Warning: This piece may include spoilers. Read at your own discretion.**

In this outrageous comedy series, Ron Burgundy and the KVWN News  4 team accidentally revolutionize broadcast journalism.

The Summary

When husband and wife duo Veronica Corningstone, played by Christina Applegate and Ron Burgundy, portrayed by Will Ferrel, take the San Fransico-based evening local news to it’s highest ratings yet, the network owner determines its time for a change. That change, shatters Burgundy’s world. Corningstone is promoted to lead evening anchor, a historic moment in women’s lib, and Burgundy is fired.

Here is where the fun begins. Right before Burgundy can destroy the town (or himself for that matter) he is offered the chance to come in on the ground level of a crazy new network created to broadcast news 24-7. GNN, or the Global News Network, is the first of his kind and its newsroom is headed by Linda Jackson, played by Think Like a Man Too star Megan Good.

Burgundy makes a crazy bet with long-time competitor and prime-time GNN anchor Jack Lime. He bets that his 2am-5am slot will see higher ratings than Lime’s. In order to do this, the team struggles to figure out a hook to entertain viewers. Burgundy blurts, “I wish we didn’t have to tell people what they need to know, and tell them what they want to know.”

Eureka! The American public loves the stories of cute cats, sports highlights, dangerous weather reports, high speed chases and how amazing it is to live in America because of it.

When the team plans to revert back to journalistic ethics and put together an exposé on the unsafe practices of a cheapy Australian airline, GNN’s Ausie owner places a gag order on the piece to protect corporate “synergy.” At the same time, Burgundy suffers a tragic accident that leaves him blind. Burgundy kicks his friends to the curb, moves to live as a recluse and stops interacting with the world.

Corningstone, who had moved on first after their split, found Burgundy and loved him back to health. The humility Burgundy learned from being vulnerable allowed him to show love to his wife and previously emotionally neglected son and now he has all he needs. Or so he thinks.

The doctors discover a way to restore his sight, and without hesitation Burgundy goes under the knife and is able to see again. He’s offered his job back with a higher salary, in place of Lime, and again places work before his family. After a change of heart, Burgundy storms out on one of the biggest stories of his career to make it to his son’s piano recital. On the way, he’s involved in an elaborate gauntlet with other national news outlets like MTV, The History Channel, Canadian news  and the BBC. Old rivals from San Diego’s Channel 9 News team come in to help free Burgundy and he makes it the recital just in time for his son to look out and see him.

Highlight

The highlight of the movie for me was the climax where Burgundy makes a satirical, yet very reasonable, statement about modern news. In so many words, he warns of distraction, he informs viewers that ratings drive what’s reported–not so much what is newsworthy– and that we all deserve the truth.

Ironically, just as he claimed the news industry is oversaturated, so were the unexpected guest appearances. Right at the end of the film, a mishmash of actors, comedians and rappers flood the screen. Random, but sort of exciting in a “What are you doing here?” kind of way.

This list of randoms include, rappers Drake, Kanye West and Will Smith, comedians Jim Carey, Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, and actors Kirsten Dunst and Harrison Ford.

My Rating

Over all, I enjoyed the movie. I think it was very funny and I enjoyed watching the characters grow and progress. I did not, however, enjoy the racial jabs too much. I didn’t appreciate how in the first Anchorman, Corningstone was so focused on her career that she didn’t initially want to pay any mind to Burgundy, yet Jackson literally takes advantage of Burgundy. It just seems mainstream media cannot portray a black women in power without her being hypersexual, overly aggressive and violent.

Without over thinking, I’d rate the movie 4 out of 5 pens and suggest you go see it if you’re down for a laugh that will make your cheeks hurt.  Is it better than the first? I don’t think I can say that, but it was damn funny still.