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Anchorman Reviews

2004 Certificate 15
  • Rated:
  • 60
  • from 46,421 members

It's the early 1970s and the local anchorman is not only a source of news but a revered local hero. In San Diego, Ron Burgundy (Will Ferrell), a moustachioed bachelor with a taste for scotch, unparalleled passion for the jazz flute, and a near-telepathic connection with his spirited mutt, Baxter, is that man. Rounding out Ron's .. Read more

Starring Will Ferrell, Christina Applegate, Paul Rudd, Steve Carell
Director Adam McKay
Genres Comedy

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  • Critics' reviews (3) of Anchorman

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  • 3 stars out of 5

    This sporadically amusing but thoroughly dumb 1970s-set comedy stars Will Ferrell as Ron Burgundy, a top news anchorman, who suddenly finds his job under threat from a woman. When ambitious reporter Veronica Corningstone (a sparky Christina Applegate) joins a top-rated but male chauvinistic San Diego news team, she sets her sights on becoming the first female anchor. However, Burgundy has no intention of sharing the limelight and tries to frustrate the plans of his rival. The jokes are puerile in the extreme, but a few pay off (a highlight being the moment Burgundy slips the announcer a fistful of cash to introduce his co-host as “Tits McGee”) and matters are given a lift by a host of cameo appearances, including Tim Robbins and Ben Stiller. But, ultimately, this feels like a comedy sketch extended way beyond its natural length, which is hardly surprising since both Ferrell and director Adam McKay are alumni of America's Saturday Night Live.

    • Radio Times
  • Move over Austin Powers, there's a new big screen Love Machine in town.

    • News Of The World
  • I loved Anchorman...So packed with laughs it should come in a barrel.

    • The Sun
  • Most helpful members' reviews (3) of Anchorman

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  • 82 out of 118 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 1 star

    Woeful

    A massive disappointment. Any goodwill for Ferrell after some funny performances in early films has been wiped out by rubbish like this. Like Starsky and Hutch, this is another example of Hollywood making a spoof without a point, any inspired setpieces or a decent script. Everyone plays it wacky in the hope that you won't spot there are no actual jokes. Steve Coogan's Alan Partridge covered similar ground and was much funnier more than 10 years ago.

      • chris from Turnpike Lane
  • 49 out of 67 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 4 stars

    Best film since Rocky 5.

    This movie is good fun, and pretty much everyone knows it - but it makes no sense at all. See the west end fight scene; talk about things that make you go, 'Hmmm'. And the dog that talks Bear. Will Ferrell is always funny - Christina Applegate is always savory - this movie is always highly bizarre - you will laugh, you will cringe - you will watch it again and cringe even worse. You will hesitate to recommend the movie; but it's better than most the tripe out there. More cameos than Blazing Saddles; more cheese than Adam Sandler; less outright laughs than an episode of friends - but still, it smacks of a cult classic.

      • Nigel Stafford from England
  • 46 out of 59 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 5 stars

    Whether or not you liked this film.........

    you had to love the moment when you realise just how amazing the anchorman really is.....

    when reading the autocue he signs out as....

    'I'm Ron Burgundy?'

    i nearly died of laughter! a moment of true comic genius!

    the rest of the film was very good but this one gag elevated it to 5 stars for me!

      • Stephen Daniels from Swindon, England
  • Most recent members' reviews (2) of Anchorman

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  • 10 out of 13 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 5 stars

    What a wonderful side-splitting film.

    What a wonderful side-splitting film. I was not familiar with the actor Will Ferrell until I watched this movie. I ached from laughing through most of the movie. Will is a genious of laughter.

    I would recommend this to anyone who wants to be thoroughly amused.

      • David from Harrow, Greater London, England.
  • 1 out of 1 person found this review helpful

    Rated - 1 star

    you'll never get this hour and a half back........

    great film if you think that 70s fashions are intrinsically amusing. Shame they didn't add any other jokes. Well apart for the heavily telegraphed ones aimed at the lowest common denomenator. And as for the animated sex sequence......

      • Sarah from London, England
  • 82 out of 118 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 1 star

    Woeful

    A massive disappointment. Any goodwill for Ferrell after some funny performances in early films has been wiped out by rubbish like this. Like Starsky and Hutch, this is another example of Hollywood making a spoof without a point, any inspired setpieces or a decent script. Everyone plays it wacky in the hope that you won't spot there are no actual jokes. Steve Coogan's Alan Partridge covered similar ground and was much funnier more than 10 years ago.

      • chris from Turnpike Lane
  • 49 out of 67 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 4 stars

    Best film since Rocky 5.

    This movie is good fun, and pretty much everyone knows it - but it makes no sense at all. See the west end fight scene; talk about things that make you go, 'Hmmm'. And the dog that talks Bear. Will Ferrell is always funny - Christina Applegate is always savory - this movie is always highly bizarre - you will laugh, you will cringe - you will watch it again and cringe even worse. You will hesitate to recommend the movie; but it's better than most the tripe out there. More cameos than Blazing Saddles; more cheese than Adam Sandler; less outright laughs than an episode of friends - but still, it smacks of a cult classic.

      • Nigel Stafford from England
  • 46 out of 59 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 5 stars

    Whether or not you liked this film.........

    you had to love the moment when you realise just how amazing the anchorman really is.....

    when reading the autocue he signs out as....

    'I'm Ron Burgundy?'

    i nearly died of laughter! a moment of true comic genius!

    the rest of the film was very good but this one gag elevated it to 5 stars for me!

      • Stephen Daniels from Swindon, England
  • 45 out of 63 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 1 star

    Yuk

    This has got to be the almost the worst film I have ever seen. The story line is rubbish, the comedy do not exsist. My advice is don't rent it ever.

      • tipsylad66 from Suffolk
  • 35 out of 56 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 1 star

    Sounds like Anchorman!!

    What an utter load of rubbish!! Perhaps I am missing the point of this film? I couldn't even force myself to laugh, I had to turn it off in the end, just wasn't prepared to make myself suffer!

      • Andy from Portsmouth
  • 20 out of 23 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 1 star

    Anchorman - awful!!

    Absolutely terrible movie - typical teenage boy toilet humour, just not funny by any stretch of the imagination!

    I give it one out of seven for the one laugh that it forced out of me!

      • Babylou15 from Belfast
  • 19 out of 23 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 1 star

    Rubbish

    Couyld have been quite amusing, but it wasn't. A big disappoinment to say the least. Don't rent it.

      • Edward Rogers from Bangor
  • 19 out of 26 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 1 star

    What a Bunch of Anchors!

    If this had been filmed on a plastic throwaway camera, it would have been a complete waste of film.

    It is silly! Not good-silly, but silly-silly. And I am silly for believing the reviewers who claimed to have liked it.

    Unfortunately I can’t give it less than 1 out of 7.

      • johnnyL from County Antrim
  • 19 out of 27 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 1 star

    Not so funny.

    Would have been more amusing if they had not made it. A mish mash of slapstick humour that would only appeal to IQs under double figures. An unfortunate cameo from Ben Stiller almost felt like it was rubbing your nose in it 'Look! It's Ben Stiller!' This film would have actually been good if he was in it for more than 90 seconds!

      • George Byrne from Merstham
  • 16 out of 17 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 5 stars

    daft

    there is about two funny scenes in this film love all the actors but just seemed totally daft!!!!

      • A customer from uk
  • Critics' reviews (3)

  • 3 stars out of 5

    This sporadically amusing but thoroughly dumb 1970s-set comedy stars Will Ferrell as Ron Burgundy, a top news anchorman, who suddenly finds his job under threat from a woman. When ambitious reporter Veronica Corningstone (a sparky Christina Applegate) joins a top-rated but male chauvinistic San Diego news team, she sets her sights on becoming the first female anchor. However, Burgundy has no intention of sharing the limelight and tries to frustrate the plans of his rival. The jokes are puerile in the extreme, but a few pay off (a highlight being the moment Burgundy slips the announcer a fistful of cash to introduce his co-host as “Tits McGee”) and matters are given a lift by a host of cameo appearances, including Tim Robbins and Ben Stiller. But, ultimately, this feels like a comedy sketch extended way beyond its natural length, which is hardly surprising since both Ferrell and director Adam McKay are alumni of America's Saturday Night Live.

    • Radio Times
  • Move over Austin Powers, there's a new big screen Love Machine in town.

    • News Of The World
  • I loved Anchorman...So packed with laughs it should come in a barrel.

    • The Sun

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    • It's the early 1970s and the local anchorman is not only a source of news but a revered local hero. In San Diego, Ron Burgundy (Will Ferrell), a moustachioed bachelor with a taste for scotch, ...

Rating breakdown

46,421 Member ratings
  • 100
5,870
  • 90
4,094
  • 80
6,742
  • 70
6,573
  • 60
7,337
  • 50
4,872
  • 40
3,900
  • 30
2,948
  • 20
2,728
  • 10
1,357

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