Any movie critic can tell you what a newly released DVD is about & spoil the ending for you. I plan to ruin your entire DVD watching experience by highlighting it's flaws, it's missteps, it's examples of poor editing, casting, and point out the ridiculous holes in the plot. If you're cynical, you'll appreciate this valuable service I'm providing. If you're easily impressed, then don't say I didn't warn you.  - Mean Jean

Don'tcha just love a movie that establishes in the first few seconds that it is going to be funny & clever, then delivers on that promise? "Anchorman" is such a movie. Will Feral, the name I reserve for the cats that get dumped in my yard that are too wild to go near stars as the 70s stereotypical Neolithic anchorman, Ron Burgundy. Kelly Bundy stars as the all grown up & no longer a ho bag threat to his world the network hires in an effort to reach out to the chicks of the city. I don't remember the "Married, With Children" episode that depicted Kelly's transformation, where she became less promiscuous & moved to San Diego to anchor the news, but her change was real, not merely a desperate Fox network grab for ratings. She does so well you might have forgotten her past if I hadn't mentioned it. The movie follows the rollercoaster thrill ride® the couple follows in their career progression. 

Ron is an over the top cartoon character who scoffs at the modern idea of women as equals in the work force. Since his hilarious, bumbling naivety isn't vilified, just lampooned, he is able to portray a perfectly strong comedy lead caveman. Fleshing out his socially backward persona is his equally ludicrous news team. One of them is mentally retarded, which at least excuses his ridiculously funny behavior. They act as the sounding wall for Ron's ideas, comedy routines, and nonrealistic fantasies, each of them providing such solid acting that none get overshadowed by the former SNL star.  Many famous people drop in to demonstrate how competing new teams handle the savage competition with each other when they run into each other in public, in one of the best fight scenes ever choreographed. That scene had me terrified that I was going to die of laughter. 

Kelly Bundy is the ambitious anchorwoman wanna be, having to cover the fluffy stories no one ever watches or cares about as she waits for her chance to get a real reporting gig. She endures much sexual harassment of the comedic variety, that'll possibly infuriate people of the 'can't take a joke' variety. Lighten up, you militant feminists! Funny is funny, even if it's not PC! 

As the plot twists, Kelly is given her big break, at the expense of Ron. She performs the nightly news excellently, in spite of the off camera antics of her co workers trying to break her concentration, who would rather have cancelled the news for the night & showed a rerun than have a woman do the job. This leads to Kelly & Ron's breakup, and starts their cutthroat competition with each other that will leave only one of them employed. The downward spiral the loser finds himself in is pure comedy, & laughing at unemployed booze hounds has never been so fun before! 

Then, as the scriptwriters would have it, fate offers the only in a movie-ish second chance at employment as well as a restored relationship, as a major network talent scout watches through his binoculars. Such a novel way to recruit talent for the news shows is laid bare in this mockumentary, leaving no industry secrets unrevealed. This flick could do for the news industry what "Spinal Tap" did for the world of rock & roll.

Though it has become fashionable to bash "Saturday Night Live" & say it hasn't been funny since the first season, the current crop of comedic film makers exposes that assertion for the ridiculous lie that it is. This flick features cameos by many an SNL alumn, showing the many who have really helped that show regain its early glory. I think; it's on so much later my bedtime I haven't seen it since I was a young thing. But if I were ever going to deprive myself of sleep for the purpose of entertainment, you can bet it'd be for today's SNL. 

Mean Jean says buy this movie new! It's funny, it's original, and entirely worth it!

(click here to buy the DVD)