Interminable car chases, disgustingly cute animals, blunt-force pleas to patriotism: These are a few of Anchorman 2’s favorite targets. A silly sequel to the 2004 Will Ferrell breakout comedy, this new chapter manages to make some smart satirical hay in the course of its stupidity. 
 
 The year is 1980, and Ferrell’s Ron Burgundy, the fatuous, egomaniacal co-anchor of a local San Diego newscast, is on the outs. Ron’s boss, played by Harrison Ford, has finally realized how dumb the guy is. Luckily there’s a brand-new medium perfect for his IQ level: 24-hour cable news. 
 
 After a Blues Brothers-like sequence of rounding up the old team — childlike weatherman Brick Tamland (Steve Carell), narcissistic reporter Brian Fantana (Paul Rudd) and racist/sexist sports guy Champ Kind (David Koech- ner) — Ron heads to New York to make his name in the brave new world of nonstop blather. 
 
 The team behind the original Anchorman was reluctant to tackle a sequel, and it’s easy to see why. Anchorman 2 indulges the mandate to dip into the well of old bits over and over again, from the jazz flute solo to the gangland rumble between rival news organizations, which bursts into a supernova of cameo appearances and is, frankly, very funny. 
 
 Then there’s the need for a transformative life experience to shake up Ron’s world, which lingers far too long and smacks of desperation. At times, Anchorman 2 blurs the line between depicting stupid and being stupid. 
 
 At other times, it’s a spot-on parody, not just of cable news’ dawn but also its current incarnation. “Why don’t we just tell them what they want to hear?” Ron asks of his GNN bosses, and proceeds to do just that. The screen becomes a perpetual mélange of impenetrable graphics and data. 
 
 One segment features puppies frolicking in a field of American flags. Ron coins a new sign-off: “Don’t just have a great night. Have an American night.” Wall-to-wall coverage of a frantic police chase scores huge ratings, with narration placing speculation over fact. That segment leads to one of the funniest lines in the movie, shouted by an appreciative barfly: “When did the news get awesome?!” 
 
 For every tiresome patch of shoehorned plot, most of it concerning Ron and his estranged wife, Veronica (Christina Applegate, underused), Anchorman 2 offers a healthy slab of satire. It’s not quite kin to Network or A Face in the Crowd; the need for easy laughs precludes genuine outrage, which in its own way can become a burden. No one really wants a scolding Ron Burgundy. 
 
 But it’s still fun to see him channel a little Howard Beale when conscience comes a-calling. Like its predecessor, Anchorman 2 is at its best when it abandons story contrivance in favor of comic anarchy. At one point, Brick, who gets an equally dense love interest in Kristen Wiig’s network receptionist, seizes the anchor chair and gets a chance to show his stuff. He responds by reciting “Itsy Bitsy Spider.” 
 
 As the climactic gang rumble reaches fever pitch, Ron realizes the danger. “We’ve gotta get out of here!” he shouts. “There’s too much news!” True indeed, Ron. And yet, so little. 
 
 Follow Chris Vognar on Twitter at @chrisvognar. 
 
 Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues (B) 
 
 Directed by Adam McKay. PG-13 (crude and sexual content, drug use, language and comic violence).119 mins. In wide release. ||||| Ron Burgundy’s Boob Tube Goes 24 Hours a Day ‘Anchorman 2,’ Starring Will Ferrell and Steve Carell 
 
 “Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues” is in danger of being overshadowed by its own marketing campaign . The recent media appearances by Ron Burgundy — impersonated, if you need reminding, by Will Ferrell — have the quality of commercial performance art. He has been ubiquitous, hawking Dodge Durango trucks , accepting a tribute from a journalism school and matching wits with members of the profession he exists to lampoon. That television news has so eagerly embraced Ron Burgundy may be evidence that the “Anchorman” movies don’t go far enough, satirically speaking. The man may be a vain, ethically obtuse, generally clueless buffoon, but it would not occur to him to allow a fictional character on his air to sell a product. He’s no George Stephanopoulos. 
 
 The new movie, meanwhile, recaptures the silly, sloppy spirit of its predecessor, minus the crucial element of surprise. It’s a frequently amusing, occasionally hilarious, rarely unpleasant grab bag of mild mockery and inspired lunacy, decked out with cameos from beloved comic performers and random celebrities. There is jazz flute-playing and a big news-team rumble, which fans will be glad to see but which don’t have quite the same impact the second time around. 
 
 The first “Anchorman,” released in the summer of 2004, marked a watershed in the emergence of what French critics (who take such things very seriously) have declared a new golden age of American comedy. Directed, like the sequel, by Adam McKay and produced by Judd Apatow, it combined aggressive, obnoxious humor with disarming, childish sweetness and gave the world a handful of immortal catchphrases. 
 
 It has all stayed classy, even if it’s not such a big deal anymore. This time, as the ’70s shade into the ’80s, offering new wardrobe and song-cue opportunities, Ron and his pals find themselves present for the birth of 24-hour cable news. Ron and his wife, Veronica Corningstone (Christina Applegate), have a young son (named Walter, as in Cronkite, played by Judah Nelson), but their relationship hits a snag when she is promoted over him at the network that moved them out of San Diego. Ron, his male pride wounded and his professional dignity challenged, goes into a tailspin that is halted when a cable producer (Dylan Baker) recruits him for a new all-news-all-the-time venture. “That’s the stupidest idea I’ve ever heard,” Ron exclaims. That may be the smartest thing he has ever said. 
 
 The movie traces the mythic origins of the worst of modern cable news — the mindless jingoism, the split-screen shouting, the cluttered graphics, the breathless coverage of car chases and celebrity nonsense — to Ron’s initiative. “I’m the one who opened the bottle and let the genie out,” he says proudly. But the whole point of the “Anchorman” franchise has always been that you can’t stay mad at this guy. You can almost imagine — or at least wish — that the real people responsible for the coarsening of civic discourse are just dumb and lovable, rather than greedy and evil. Ron may be sexist, pompous, politically insensitive and hideously dressed, but Mr. Ferrell, with his lumbering frame and twinkling eyes, always tugs him back toward cuddliness. 
 
 He is joined by the sidekicks from “Anchorman” — David Koechner, Steve Carell and Paul Rudd — and a few new faces. Meagan Good shows admirable gameness as Ron’s designated straight man, his temporary love interest and the occasion for some pretend-provocative bouts of racial humor. The clueless, nervous white guy at an African-American family dinner is one of the oldest jokes in the book, and Mr. Ferrell and Mr. McKay don’t exactly write a new page. But again, no one is likely to get too mad at Ron’s jive talking or his old-school male chauvinism. You might as well object to his mustache. 
 
 Some viewers may be bored, however, as this legend meanders down a few comic blind alleys. A movie like “Anchorman 2,” in essence a very long character-based sketch, is always a hit-and-miss affair. The sheer density of the jokes guarantees a few laughs for every taste, though, and the loose, improvisational energy of the performers keeps things lively. The original cast members show the passage of time in their faces and bodies, with the uncanny exception of Mr. Rudd, the Dorian Gray of the New American Comedy. 
 
 The sillier “Anchorman 2” gets, the better it works. In other words, it pretty much belongs to Mr. Carell, as the transcendently dim weatherman Brick Tamland, and to Kristen Wiig, as Chani, a co-worker who turns out to be Brick’s soul mate. Their romance lifts the movie into a realm of pure nonsense, and their graceful, inventive idiocy makes the rest of it look labored and overdone. 
 
 Which is not to say that Brick and Chani should have their own movie. Too much of any one thing would spoil the fun of the whole, which depends on quick transitions from one setup to the next and an overall sense of anarchic busyness. “Anchorman 2” supplies that, as expected, even as it also feels like old news. 
 
 “Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues” is rated PG-13 (Parents strongly cautioned). Just naughty enough for cable. 
 
 Anchorman 2 
 
 The Legend Continues 
 
 Opens on Wednesday. 
 
 Directed by Adam McKay; written by Will Ferrell and Mr. McKay; director of photography, Oliver Wood; edited by Brent White and Melissa Bretherton; music by Andrew Feltenstein and John Nau; production design by Clayton Hartley; costumes by Susan Matheson; produced by Judd Apatow, Mr. Ferrell and Mr. McKay; released by Paramount Pictures. Running time: 1 hour 59 minutes. 
 
 WITH: Will Ferrell (Ron Burgundy), Steve Carell (Brick Tamland), Paul Rudd (Brian Fantana), David Koechner (Champ Kind), Christina Applegate (Veronica Corningstone), Meagan Good (Linda Jackson), James Marsden (Jack Lime), Josh Lawson (Kench Allenby), Kristen Wiig (Chani), Dylan Baker (Freddie Shapp) and Judah Nelson (Walter Burgundy). ||||| Every time I see Ron Burgundy, a.k.a. Will Ferrell, hawking Dodge Durangos on TV — which seems like a million times a day — what strikes me is how brilliant the "Anchorman" conceit is in small bits. The carefully manicured hair, the flashy suits, all just window dressing for that marvelously bloated ego, the absurd made irresistible in 60-second increments. 
 
 That, I'd suggest, should be the recommended dosage. 
 
 At nearly two hours, the nonsense of Ron and the news game, which Ferrell and co-writer and director Adam McKay skewered so effectively in 2004, is harder to sustain the second time around. "Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues," does continue the legend of the original "Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy." 
 
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 But the reality that Ron Burgundy did indeed become a legend is part of the film's difficulty. Waiting nearly a decade before the sequel came allowed time for "Anchorman" to reach cult status — "stay classy" joined the lexicon of the knowingly sarcastic. So revered is the original, the film's legions of fans have likely watched it about as many times as I've seen those Dodge ads. Between the history and the hype, expectations are high for a Burgundy redux to deliver. 
 
 That presents its own set of challenges. A comedy sequel always carries the risk that the joke was stretched to the limits in the first. We did not, for example, need another slice of "American Pie," anymore than we needed a "Hangover 2" or "3," a clear case of overindulging. 
 
 While I'm glad "Anchorman" is back — we need a little levity in this year of heavy films — I do wish it were better. With so many sight gags and nearly every living comic in the world making an appearance at some point, the entire operation, like Ron's ego, feels a bit bloated. 
 
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 Still, "Anchorman 2" has its distinct pleasures, chief among them its characters. And chief among its characters is Steve Carell. Back as the mentally challenged weathercaster Brick, his scenes are hysterically saturated with the eternal sunshine of a spotless mind. Double the fun when Kristen Wiig's socially inept Chani enters the picture. Together they create some of the strangest romantic chemistry the big screen has seen in a while — maybe ever. 
 
 As the legend picks up, Ron and Veronica Corningstone (Christina Applegate) are married with a young son named Walter (Cronkite?). The former competitors have joined forces, co-anchoring a weekend network newscast in New York. They are happy enough, but pining for prime time. 
 
 A series of unfortunate events align to split up the couple — on air and off. It begins when she gets that prime-time spot and he does not — the good news/bad news delivered in a very funny cameo by Harrison Ford. Veronica's success is more than Ron can stomach so it's back to San Diego for the fallen star. 
 
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 Besides, there had to be some excuse to send Ron on a downward spiral — wedded bliss and career satisfaction don't suit him. It also allows the filmmakers to reunite the anchorman with his former news team: correspondent Brian Fantana (Paul Rudd), sportscaster Champ Kind (David Koechner) and Brick. 
 
 Like an incredibly slow windup, "Anchorman 2" spends a lot of time getting us caught up on their lives; basically some are better off than others. These segments struggle for traction and Ron's job as an emcee at SeaWorld has drawn sharp criticism from real-world animal rights activists who see absolutely nothing funny in the captivity of killer whales (see the documentary "Blackfish" for a very good recap of the issues). 
 
 Rescuing Ron from San Diego, and us from a dearth of the solid silly nonsense we expect from "Anchorman," is the very dry Dylan Baker. As Freddie Shapp, a TV producer trying to sell Ron on the idea of a 24-hour cable news operation, you can tell if the TV gig doesn't pan out he's got a future in used cars. 
 
 On the set: movies and TV 
 
 With the plasticized all-news-all-the-time culture in the film's sights, the fun begins in earnest. Burgundy has a new nemesis in Jack Lime (James Marsden). Though it hardly seems possible, Lime has better hair than Ron. And he may not understand what is actually going on in the world, but he's a smooth news reader and he knows exactly when to flash that megawatt smile. Marsden is a crack-up in the role. 
 
 The competition to keep up ratings and newsroom infighting provides a good setup for many of the best jokes. The birth of the slow-speed car chase during Ron's watch is a hoot. The funniest gag involves Brick, but to say more would be to spoil the fun. 
 
 There are a few bizarre detours that seem contrived to allow the filmmakers to keep a gag they loved but couldn't quite figure out how to make it fit. One involves blindness and a lighthouse and is actually hilarious. But at times like this, it feels as if the concept has outrun the comedy and "Anchorman 2" stops making sense. 
 
 betsy.sharkey@latimes.com 
 
 --------------------------- 
 
 'Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues' 
 
 MPAA rating: PG-13 for crude and sexual content, drug use, language and comic violence 
 
 Running time: 1 hour, 59 minutes 
 
 Playing: In general release ||||| CLOSE BackStage host Carly Mallenbaum reveals some of the best lines from new movie 'Anchorman 2.' 
 
 Nearly anyone who is anybody in contemporary comedy — and even drama — makes an appearance in this sequel. 
 
 The gang is back! Left to right: David Koechner as Champ Kind, Paul Rudd as Brian Fantana, Will Ferrell as Ron Burgundy and Steve Carell as Brick Tamland in 'Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues.' (Photo: Gemma LaMana, Paramount Pictures) Story Highlights USA Today Review: * * * out of four 
 
 Stars: Will Ferrell, Christina Applegate, Steve Carell, Paul Rudd, Meagan Good, James Marsden, Kristen Wiig 
 
 Rated: PG-13; runtime: 1 hour, 59 minutes; opens Wednesday nationwide 
 
 When did the news get awesome? 
 
 It's a question a viewer asks while watching blowhard newsman Ron Burgundy narrate a live car chase in Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues (* * * out of four; rated PG-13; opening today nationwide). But it could also be applied to this sequel, which is nearly as silly-funny as its 2004 predecessor. 
 
 It's not unusual for comedies to sink to silly-stupid depths. A rare few are bona fide silly-funny. Anchorman, and now its follow-up, fall into the latter category of inspired lunacy. 
 
 The movie cleverly spoofs the 24-hour TV news cycle, as well as sexism and racism in the workplace. Not every scene is equally funny, of course, but most of the comic antics generate laughs. 
 
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 TRAILERS: Coming soon to theaters 
 
 It's 1980 in this follow-up to the '70s-era Anchorman, and Ron Burgundy (Will Ferrell) is no longer the top newsman in San Diego (pronounced San De-ahh-go by the lame-brained Burgundy). He's been run out of the business and works as a SeaWorld announcer. 
 
 He is, however, as inappropriate and boorish as ever, prompting a kid to yell: "Children and animals hate you, Ron Burgundy!" 
 
 His inept former news team, dim-witted weatherman Brick Tamland (Steve Carell), inanely slick reporter Brian Fantana (Paul Rudd) and bigoted sportscaster Champ Kind (David Koechner) also have gone on to non-journalistic pursuits. 
 
 The chemistry and improvisational energy of this comic quartet fuel the comedy. They inhabit their motley crew of characters with outrageous flair. And Ferrell is spot-on as the buffoonish Burgundy. 
 
 Burgundy is offered an on-air gig by a news start-up — GNN (Global News Network), the first 24-7 news organization. He rounds up his team, vowing: "I'm gonna go do what God put Ron Burgundy on this Earth to do: have salon-quality hair and read the news." 
 
 The mustachioed Burgundy takes an ultra-patriotic stance in his first newscast and reports upbeat news. ("Don't just have a great night," he tells viewers. "Have an American night.") The approach quickly wins the hearts of TV watchers. 
 
 Burgundy and former co-anchor Veronica Corningstone (Christina Applegate) have married and had a son, Walter (Judah Nelson). Greg Kinnear figures into their dynamics in a comical subplot. Supporting players are absurdly funny: Kristen Wiig as a daft secretary, Meagan Good as Burgundy's tough boss and James Marsden as Burgundy's swaggering nemesis. 
 
 Screenwriters Ferrell and Adam McKay, who also directs, reprise the wackier elements from the first movie. Burgundy indulges in a jazz flute solo and his canine sidekick Baxter is still on hand, lively as ever, despite the passing of the years. 
 
 In the original, one of the funniest segments was a rumble between competing news teams. (The few rules to this nasty fight entail not touching the face or hair, though outright annihilation is fine.) A similar, but more elaborate, gag here is boisterously humorous. 
 
 As a bonus, the comedy, produced by Judd Apatow, has an abundance of starry cameos. Clocking in at two hours, however, the movie is about 20 minutes too long and a skit involving Burgundy's temporary blindness grows tiresome. 
 
 While it may not be as quotable as its predecessor, Anchorman 2 still is wacky fun. And who can resist brave little Baxter tackling yet another predator and saving the day once more? 
 
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– Anchorman 2 brings the "legendary" Ron Burgundy into the 1980s and a new medium: 24-hour news. The sequel brings back the absurdity of the first and even takes a few swings at satire, and while it may not equal its predecessor, critics say it's worth a watch. "It's not unusual for comedies to sink to silly-stupid depths. A rare few are bona fide silly-funny. Anchorman, and now its follow-up, fall into the latter category of inspired lunacy," writes Claudia Puig in USA Today. "The chemistry and improvisational energy of this comic quartet"—Will Ferrell, Steve Carell, Paul Rudd, and David Koechner—"fuel the comedy." Meanwhile, "nearly anyone who is anybody in contemporary comedy ... makes an appearance." Anchorman 2 "recaptures the silly, sloppy spirit of its predecessor, minus the crucial element of surprise. It’s a frequently amusing, occasionally hilarious, rarely unpleasant grab bag of mild mockery and inspired lunacy," observes AO Scott in New York Times. The film "manages to make some smart satirical hay in the course of its stupidity," writes Chris Vognar in the Dallas Morning News. "At times, Anchorman 2 blurs the line between depicting stupid and being stupid. At other times, it’s a spot-on parody, not just of cable news’ dawn but also its current incarnation." "While I'm glad Anchorman is back," notes Betsy Sharkey in the Los Angeles Times, "I do wish it were better. With so many sight gags and nearly every living comic in the world making an appearance at some point, the entire operation, like Ron's ego, feels a bit bloated." But Carell and Kristen Wiig "create some of the strangest romantic chemistry the big screen has seen in a while—maybe ever."