6.4 | / 10 |
Users | 4.5 | |
Reviewer | 4.5 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
With the 70′s behind him, San Diego’s top rated newsman, Ron Burgundy, returns to the news desk in Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues. Also back for more are Ron’s co-anchor and wife, Veronica Corningstone , weather man Brick Tamland, man on the street Brian Fantana and sports guy Champ Kind – All of whom won’t make it easy to stay classy…while taking the country’s first 24-hour news channel by storm.
Starring: Will Ferrell, Steve Carell, Paul Rudd, David Koechner, Christina ApplegateComedy | 100% |
Period | 19% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.40:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
French: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
R-rated: Only DTS-HD MA track
English, English SDH, French, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Three-disc set (2 BDs, 1 DVD)
UV digital copy
DVD copy
Slipcover in original pressing
Region free
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 5.0 | |
Audio | 5.0 | |
Extras | 4.5 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
Flip on through any of the many television news options, be they the 24-hour cable variety, network nightly programs, or local news, and see a lot of well-groomed and pretty faces but also, generally, quite a few sycophants in love with their own voices and celebrity, more concerned with the image they project rather than the stories they share. These types are not even limited to the larger networks and the biggest markets, but generally speaking, the brighter the spotlight, the larger the ego and, probably because of market size rather than talent or trustworthiness, the higher the ratings. This is not always true, of course. There are still some very good objective journalists out there that don't spin and don't report for ratings but are concerned with telling the truth as best as they can find it through all of the muck. Be that as it may, the news has largely become a place for entertainment, and taken to the extreme on Comedy channels that air programs masquerading as "real news." But the news wasn't always car chases and fluff stories and political posturing and favoritism and mindless speculation behind a news item that's barely out of the gate or, even worse, trickling new information at the speed of bureaucracy. It used to be all news, hard news, and world-shaping events or, at least, stories important to a local community. The inflated egos, the false sense of importance, and bigger and bigger audiences with longer and longer time slots to fill brought with them not opportunity to expand on the news but to speculate on the news and, for better or for worse, declare something other than "news" as "news." Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues tells the fictionalized and comical story of the birth of the 24-hour news cycle and one whacky group of "journalists" that reshaped the news into entertainment, feel-good stories, and overly dramatized non-news branded as important for public consumption. In essence, and if the movie is to believed, the modern news cycle and presentation style was influenced by morons. Very funny morons. Who knew?
You're looking live at...me.
Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues dazzles with a perfect 1080p transfer. Paramount's latest effort represents, flat-out, one of the best viewing experiences on Blu-ray. The image produces incredible clarity and sharpness, a natural, cinematic texture that showcases the format's strengths and the beauty of a fresh motion picture meticulously transferred to Blu-ray. The film is packed with razor-sharp textures and dazzling intricate detailing. Wardrobe is particularly noteworthy considering the intimacy with which close-ups reveal the finest lines and seams. Facial details are faultless, showcasing fine lines, makeup, and hair with amazing lifelike accuracy. Background clarity and detail are just as striking. The Sea World scene early in the film comes through so clearly that it's easy to identify individual faces well back in the crowd and distant from the camera. Every edge is smooth and perfectly defined throughout the entire film, leaving no inch of the frame in any way soft, murky, or anything less than pristine. Colors are equally gorgeous. The palette explodes off the screen with a rich, realistic splash of varied colors, whether bright blue Sea World waters, loud blazers and ties, or multicolored television graphics. Black levels are deep, inky, and refuse to go too bright or absorb any detail. Flesh tones are accurate across the board. No wear and no readily evident transfer flaws are visible. This is a dazzling effort from Paramount.
Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues features a fantastic DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack. Paramount's audio presentation impresses from the studio log forward. The listener is immediately greeted by a big, dynamic, widely spaced, immersive, and deep musical piece that epitomizes all of the goodness to come. Immaculate clarity, potent yet even bass, and surround that swallows the listener but doesn't come across as needlessly big for the sake of filling the speakers all contribute to what amounts to a perfect Comedy listen. The track enjoys its fair share of bigger sound effects, too, that prove just as dynamic as that music. Most of them come during some final act mayhem that includes several explosions and gunshots and even a roaring jet, though a fairly substantial vehicle rollover crash earlier in the film is no slouch, either, all presenting a dynamic, full, accurate sonic sensation that blends all of the necessary pieces in flawless harmony. Light ambient support is scattered throughout, including a very well-engineered microphone echo effect in chapter two. General dialogue plays evenly and smoothly from the center. This is a first-rate listen from Paramount.
Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues contains hours of supplements spread across both included Blu-ray discs. Also available are three cuts
of the film. Disc one houses both the theatrical version (runtime 1:58:55) and the extended version (runtime 2:03:05). Disc two contains the
Super-Size version of the film (runtime 2:23:14). DVD and UV/iTunes digital copies are included in the case.
Disc One:
Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues doesn't work quite as well as the original, largely because its second half just goes way overboard into the abyss of randomness and absurdity. Its first half, however, is brilliant comedy, not a revelation but rather a solidification of the franchise's potential, Will Ferrell's talents, and, as the name suggests, his character's "legendary" status. It's all in good fun, certainly crude and tasteless much of the time but endlessly hilarious and sure to at least delight, if not downright absorb, fans of the original. Paramount's Blu-ray release of Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues enjoys pristine video, fantastic audio, and tons of supplements. Very highly recommended.
Red Underwear Edition | Jockey Briefs
2013
Blue Underwear Edition | Jockey Briefs
2013
Talking Packaging
2013
w/ Ron Burgundy Bobblehead
2013
w/ License Plate Keychain
2013
2013
20th Anniversary
2004
Totally Irresponsible Edition
2011
2011
2013
Mastered in 4K
2013
1999
2017
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1998-2007
Collector's Edition
2012
Nine to Five | Limited Edition to 3000 - SOLD OUT
1980
2013
1984-1992
2015
Let's Get Sweaty Edition
2008
2011
1988
2018
2012
Bruno
2009
2017