Anchorman 2 The Legend Continues Deserves More Credit Than You Remember

Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy first hit theaters in 2004, and it instantly became one of the most quoted comedies of its time. Practically overnight, lines like “I’m trapped in a glass case of emotion,” “I love lamp,” and “60 percent of the time, it works every time” became everyday jokes among friends, classmates, and coworkers. For many people, the film felt like a fun rite of passage, especially during their high-school or college years.

But when Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues arrived in 2013, the reaction felt noticeably quieter — not because the movie wasn’t funny, but simply because audiences from the original era had grown up, moved away, or gotten busy with adult responsibilities. And that quieter response is unfortunate, because the sequel is arguably a better, sharper, and more relevant movie.

One of the most interesting details is how critics seem to support this view. While the first Anchorman sits at 66% on Rotten Tomatoes
(see the Anchorman listing here: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/anchorman),
its sequel holds a higher 74% rating
(check the Anchorman 2 page: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/anchorman_2_the_legend_continues).
This alone shows that the second film struck a stronger chord with reviewers, and for good reason.

Anchorman 2 picks up four years after the events of the original. Ron Burgundy, played again by Will Ferrell, is co-anchoring the news with his wife Veronica Corningstone (Christina Applegate). Things quickly fall apart when veteran anchor Mack Tannen (Harrison Ford) retires, promotes Veronica, and immediately fires Ron for gross incompetence. Aimless and bruised, Ron gets an unexpected offer from Freddie Shapp (Dylan Baker), who is assembling a brand-new 24-hour cable news channel called the Global News Network (GNN).

Freddie’s idea is simple: nonstop news. But nonstop news needs nonstop content — and that’s where Ron sees an opportunity. Instead of focusing on journalistic integrity, he dives headfirst into sensationalism, speculation, and rapid-fire fluff pieces, all designed to keep viewers glued to the screen. With his original team back together — Brian Fantana (Paul Rudd), Champ Kind (David Koechner), and Brick Tamland (Steve Carell) — the group becomes an overnight ratings powerhouse, much to Veronica’s frustration as she fights to uphold traditional reporting standards.

The movie keeps the fast-paced, improvisational humor that made the first Anchorman so memorable. Yet underneath the absurdity, it delivers a surprisingly sharp critique of how modern news has become entertainment disguised as information. When a major, legitimate story gets buried due to corporate interests, the film doesn’t shy away from showing how greed, ratings, and marketing can warp what the public sees as “news.”

Anchorman 2 also isn’t afraid to get weirder. Ron starts dating his Black manager Linda Jackson (Meagan Good), leading to one of the film’s most chaotic scenes as he disastrously attempts to “talk jive” at her family’s dinner table. The third act ramps things up even more with a massive, over-the-top battle between rival news networks — featuring the return of Wes Mantooth (Vince Vaughn), who, of course, still fiercely defends his mother’s honor. Because Dorothy Mantooth is a saint.

What makes the sequel stand out is how none of its callbacks feel lazy. Familiar jokes reappear, but they’re used as running gags rather than cheap references. The cast chemistry stays sharp, the humor escalates naturally, and the story introduces new situations that push the characters into even more ridiculous territory.

Anchorman 2 doesn’t just recreate the original — it expands it. It keeps the same chaotic energy but adds a more cohesive story, higher stakes, and a surprisingly relevant message about modern media. And now, more than a decade later, its satire feels even more accurate.

If you missed the sequel the first time or only watched it casually, it’s absolutely worth revisiting. Anchorman 2 is streaming on Paramount+.