Author: Robert Skuch Published
Host: The Legend of Ron Burgundy It was published in 2004 when I was a high school sophomore, and its references almost overnight supplanted Dave Chappelle’s “Rick James” and “Lil Jon” skits. Suddenly, everyone I knew was “trapped in a glass case of emotion,” “not angry, but impressed,” and they all “liked the lights.” We all had the time of our lives doing our best Ron Burgundy impression while busting out from the movie. 60% of the time, we laugh every time.
2013 “Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues” From my perspective, I didn’t have the same impact as my friends and I had grown up. Between getting married, having kids, and moving out of state, we didn’t get together to quote the movie ad nauseam when it came out. host It feels like a rite of passage in adolescence, and Moderator 2 It feels like an afterthought, which is a shame because I think it’s actually a better movie.
Critics seem to agree, as the first film has a 66% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, while the sequel has a 74% rating. Anchorman 2 is more prescient than its predecessor, addressing more timeless themes but retaining the sense of humor that made the first film a commercial success.
The legend continues
Moderator 2 The story takes place four years after the events of the first film, reintroducing us to an older and somewhat foolish Ron Burgundy (Will Ferrell). Ron, who co-hosts the show with his wife Veronica Corningstone (Christina Applegate), quickly learns reality when she is promoted by the retiring Mike Tennant (Harrison Ford), who is fired for gross incompetence. When Freddie Sharp (Dylan Baker) contacts Ron to join his new network, Global News Network (GNN), he decides to get the band back together.
Freddie’s vision is simple: 24/7 news coverage. The problem is that, when journalistic integrity is considered the standard, filling the airwaves with non-stop programming proves to be a difficult task. Fortunately for Freddie, Ron had no qualms about twisting the facts, spinning lurid and speculative stories, and churning out pointless bits at an alarming rate to attract viewers.
With the help of field reporter Brian Fantana (Paul Rudd), sportscaster Chap Kinder (David Koechner) and goofy weatherman Brick Tamland (Steve Carell), the original crew dominated the ratings and quickly became the GNN dream team. Of course, their success frustrated Veronica, who still believed in the discipline and dignity of true journalism.
The truth has consequences
Embodying the same improvisational energy as the first film, Anchor 2’s The actors spit out quips at an incredible pace and the humor is at its peak. Yet beneath the jokes and absurdity lies a pointed critique of the 24-hour news cycle we live in today. As commercialism undermines the legitimate stories Ron and his team want to broadcast, the film forces us to confront an uncomfortable truth: News has become entertainment disguised as information. Corporate greed determines the headlines, and the money-making stories take precedence over the stories that really matter.
Although it sounds heavy, Moderator 2 Never forgetting what made the first film so successful, it fully embraces its absurd humor while effortlessly elevating every ridiculous situation. Enemies become friends and friends become enemies when Ron starts dating his black manager Linda Jackson (Meagan Good), only to ruin his reputation with her family after trying to talk heatedly about Gere at the dinner table. The third act features another intense online battle royale battle, with even Wes Mantus (Vince Vaughn) returning to defend his mother’s honor. After all, Dorothy Mantus remained a saint.
Nothing is called here, instead of relying on lazy callbacks. Familiar bits are revisited but treated as long-running jokes rather than cheap references. The jokes feel earned, the chemistry remains sharp, and the characters begin to stretch into new, equally ridiculous territory, making the sequel feel like a natural extension of its predecessor.
A powerful and memorable sequel you might have overlooked
If you’re like me and just give Moderator 2 It was a casual watch when it was first launched and is worth revisiting. It captures everything that made the original a cultural phenomenon, but elevates the humor by telling a more cohesive story beyond the chaos and ego-driven competition of a newsroom. It does exactly what a great sequel should do: it takes established characters, places them in a new world with higher stakes, and lets them fail in the most interesting ways.
Moderator 2 leans into the madness of the era and somehow feels even more relevant now thanks to its biting satire. Not only does it stay true to the original, it actually surpasses it.
Moderator 2 Now streaming on Paramount+.
