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Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy
[HD DVD] R0 - America - DreamWorks/Paramount Home Entertainment Review written by and copyright: Gary Jukes (11th February 2008). |
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The Film
 It's the 1970s, and Ron Burgundy (Will Ferrell) is the most popular news anchor in San Diego. He's also an egotistical chauvinist who loves himself more than anything, so when the feisty Veronica (Christina Applegate) joins the studio with eyes for an 'anchorman' role Burgundy's world is turned upside down. Threatened by the presence of an ambitious woman in the news room Ron and his team : Brian Fantana (Paul Rudd), Champ Kind (David Koechner) and the dimwitted Brick Tamland (Steve Carell) : realise their positions are under threat and try everything in their power to get her out. Things become complicated, though, when Ron falls in love with her. Unfortunately for Veronica, Ron still sees her as little more than a sex object, and when he turns up late for a broadcast the studio puts Veronica in front of the camera, possibly marking the end of Ron's career. Despite the comedic talent involved, 'Anchorman' is a little disappointing. The performances are fine, but the film isn't nearly as funny as it should be given those involved, particularly Ferrell. I enjoyed his performance in 'Old School', but here he is largely one-dimensional and forgetful, though perhaps most of that is down to my disliking of the Ron Burgundy character, who I found to be obnoxious and unfunny. Thankfully Steve Carell, excellent as Michael Scott in The Office, steals the show as weatherman Tamland, while cameos from the likes of Jack Black, Ben Stiller and Luke Wilson keep things interesting (Black's cameo was the funniest part of the film for me). Ultimately whether you love this film or hate it will come down to what you think of Will Ferrell : I don't think I've seen the best of him yet, which is why I'm firmly in the middle with this one.
Video
The 1.85:1 1080p transfer is a bit of a mixed bag: some scenes feature incredible levels of detail (Burgundy checking himself out in the mirror during the opening credits is a good example), while others are quite soft. The colours are also a little faded and washed out, though that could be the effects of the 70s colour scheme on show.
Audio
This is a dialogue heavy film, and the English Dolby Digital 5.1 Plus track does a good job of presenting it. The action is focused primarily at the front of the soundstage with the rears only put to occasional use, so while not particularly immersive it's decent enough all the same. There are also DD5.1+ soundtracks in French and Spanish, with optional subtitles in English, English HoH, French, Spanish and Portuguese.
Extras
First up is an Audio Commentary with director Adam McKay and stars Will Ferrell, Christina Applegate, Paul Rudd and David Koechner. Commentary tracks that feature large groups rarely turn out well, and this is no exception. The participants talk over each other, to each other, and very little about the film itself. The Making of Anchorman (9:28) is a decent promotional piece that does its job of introducing us to the actors and characters involved interspersed with some behind-the-scenes footage. Interestingly some audition footage is included. Next up we have a large collection of Deleted Scenes (37:53). While most are extensions of existing scenes, there are also some alternate takes that most fans will find interesting. Any collection of Bloopers (7:45) is always worth a look, and the selection here had me laughing out loud. Special Report (6:44) features a collection of in-character report scenes that appeared in the background during the film, and for the most part is a very funny piece. Ron Burgundy at the MTV Movie Awards (3:36), Ron Burgundy's ESPN Audition (1:54), A Conversation with Ron Burgundy (10:38) and Commercial Break (2:03) all feature Ferrell in-character in a variety of situations. As I've stated earlier I'm not particularly fond of the Burgundy character and didn't enjoy these featurettes at all, despite the presence of the gorgeous Rebecca Romijn in the MTV sketch. Rounding out the extras is a Theatrical Trailer, the only one of the extras presented in HD.
Overall
Equipment: Toshiba HD-XE1, Toshiba 37X3030DB, Onkyo TX-SR605, Mission 7.1 speaker setup
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