Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues

Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues.

I have to admit I wasn't one of the people who at first got the whole appeal when it came to the first Anchorman film, I didn't and I'm not the biggest Will Ferrell fan either. But I did find the first film really funny when I did get round to watching it and so I was interested to see where the characters were now and what they could get up to. 

Following on from the first film we see Ron Burgundy presenting with his wife Veronica Corningstone (Christina Applegate), fired because of incompetence and stupidity Ron  is soon enough a down and out. Struggling to make a living, being fired from Sea World and with the original news team now split up they all have their own lives. Ron (Will Ferrell) is jobless, Brian Fantana (Paul Rudd) is the top cat photographer, Champ Kind (David Koechner) owns a chicken restaraunt and Brick Tamland (Steve Carell) is dead but not really dead. 

Recruited by a new 24 hour news channel GNN (Global News Network) the newsteam start off at the bottom again doing the midnight shift. Deciding to show people what they want to watch instead of what they need to watch the news team are a massive success and are soon enough back on top. 

The film in my eyes takes a stupid turn and it goes off into ridiculous territory, going blind, nursing a shark called Doby and finally a celebrity packed final showdown of various other news anchors it becomes stupid. I have to say to me it felt more of a Brick film, the best and most funniest scenes are the ones where he is on screen and especially his relationship with Chani (Kristen Wiig). Both of them bring forward the at times strange, demented yet funny characters that steal the whole film and would have been better with just those two. 

The storyline for me was just too flaky and it wasn't linear enough, a feeling that their must have been ALOT of footage filmed for the movie and only the best was kept and alot of fat was trimmed off. Ferrell is of course great as Burgundy but lines like "by the beard of Zeus" and many others we have seen before from the first film and feels stale. For any devout Anchorman fans they will love seeing their fave characters back on screen but for me it just felt all too seen it before and not enough original material. No doubt we'll see an Anchorman 3 and maybe a 4th but lets hope some new material is brought in.

5/10.

The Way Way Back!!!!

The Way Way Back.

What has to be one of the years best summertime movies; emotion, teenage angst, growing up, being accepted and a dysfunctional family all feature in this film and come together to make something special. Starting off in a car journey Duncan (Liam James) is talking to his mums boyrfriend Trent (Steve Carell) about what Duncan would rate himself on scale of one to ten, Duncan says he's a six but Trent says he is a three and says its because he doesn't go out or put himself "out there". 

As the family, Duncan's mum Pam (Toni Collette), Trent's daughter Steph (Zoe Levin) pull up to Trent's holiday home it is evident that Duncan doesn't want to be there and isn't going to enjoy it. Soon enough the neighbours turn up, mum Betty (Allison Janney), daughter Susanna (AnnaSophia Robb) and her son Peter (River Alexander) all welcome the family with open arms.

The holiday is of course more for the adults as it is for the kids, as the family meets up with old friends of Trent's Kipp (Rob Corddry) and Joan (Amanda Peet) they regress back to their teenage years by staying up late drinking, smoking pot and going skinny dipping in the sea. But for Duncan this is just not his thing as he is left to fend for himself and entertain himself while his parents have their "spring break". Deciding to take a pink bike out for a ride he finds a local water park and meets the owner Owen (Sam Rockwell) who strike up a funny relationship. 

Soon enough Duncan is offered a job at the water park which will change his life like he never thought would be possible. Gaining people experience and finally enjoying the time away from his family he starts to come out of his shell more and makes some great friends in the process. Plucking up the courage to talk to Susanna a great friendship is made as Duncan shows her around the water park and is able to be himself for the first time around her. 

As the little quips, in jokes and sarcasm come thick and fast on screen it makes for a really enjoyable film and really does make you smile from scene to scene. As you see Duncan come to life at the water park you get to see his personal development and the relationship he has with his mother and her very stern authoritarian boyfriend Trent. As he finally gets his courage he has to soon enough leave the water park as summer is coming to an end and say goodbye to his new found friends. 

It's rare for a film with so many characters with a small runtime to really let the characters come across but they do. Smaller characters like Lewis (Jim Rash) and Caitlin (Maya Rudolph) get the chance to shine and show their back story and bring in some great one liners and comedy moments as well. The storyline is one that is sweet and can be awkward to watch on screen especially between Duncan and Trent it's a situation family members all go through at some point. 

On a holiday that he didn't want to be a part of Duncan learns more about life, friendships and his own future than he would have ever thought. And along the way he also meets some great friends, has some great fun at a water park and has some great laughs. What more could you want in life.

9/10.

Despicable Me 2!!!!

Despicable Me 2.

After the huge success of the first Despicable Me film the cast of quirky, sweet and oh so funny characters are back for their second instalment filled with plenty of laughs. Picking up right where the last film finished Gru (Steve Carell) is now a happily settled down good guy with his three daughters Margo (Miranda Cosgrove), Edith (Dana Gaier)  and Agnes (Elsie Kate Fisher) and has taken up making horrible tasting fruit jams.

Of course he can't live a normal life for too long and is soon visited by Lucy (Kristen Wiig) from the villain defence league who is convinced by Silas Ramsbottom (Steve Coogan) to help them catch a new criminal mastermind. As Gru and Lucy work together they take residence in a shopping centre where all manner of situations take place with of course the minions in tow.

As the pair move ever closer to the real master criminal they are thrown off course and soon enough the world is under threat from evil again. With the help of the minions and good old faithful Dr Nefario (Russell Brand) will Gru and Lucy save the world from great danger?

The films characters work really well together with the addition of Lucy and the relationship between the two blossoming throughout the film it has a great mix. A great storyline with some great lines from in my eyes the stars of the films the minions and a nice little life lesson storyline running along side as well it's a great kids film to be enjoyed by every age. 

It certainly had me laughing along to every joke and certainly had the younger kids laughing along as well. If your looking for something fun with abit of comedy, abit of romance and a great save the world storyline then watch this film and overall a great second film from the Despicable Me team, bring on the Minions movie?

8/10.