Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy - 9 stars out of 10

Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy - 9 stars out of 10

“Anchorman” is my favorite Will Ferrell comedy.  The film has all of the stupid humor that you expect but presents it through memorable characters and an immersive 70’s atmosphere.  It feels like much more than a slapstick comedy because the music, costuming, and satirical portrayal of chauvinism in the workplace are so perfect for this time period.  The film works as a legitimate period piece and the costuming probably deserved an Oscar nomination.  So much of the humor in this film is derived from male stereotypes and it works so well because of how true this was in the 70’s.  It seems like the film market is so oversaturated with comedies that they are all the same, but this film distinguishes itself through Will Ferrell’s iconic character.  Ron Burgundy is one of those characters that everybody recognizes even if they haven’t seen the movie.  Just like Austin Powers, The Blues Brothers, and Happy Gilmore, this character is constantly present in our culture through his loudly projected television voice, one-liners (“Well, that escalated quickly”/” I don't know how to put this but I'm kind of a big deal”), and outlandish exclamations (“By the beard of Zeus”/“Knights of Columbus, that hurt”).  The news team is rounded out with comic actors Paul Rudd, David Koechner (who would later play Todd Packer on “The Office”), and Steve Carell as Brick.  Carell doesn’t have many lines but steals the show through his constantly clueless state and dimwitted delivery of lines.  This role thrust him into the spotlight right before he was cast in “The Office” and set the wheels in motion to make him a star with “The 40-Year-Old Virgin.”  The script is really well-written, providing dozens of quotable jokes, getting "Afternoon Delight" stuck in your head, and even drawing in Vince Vaughn, Luke Wilson, Tim Robbins, and Ben Stiller for an epic Battle of the News Anchors.  There really isn’t anything bad to be said about “Anchorman.”  Its short runtime keeps it from getting old, the off-the-wall jokes are completely unexpected, and you laugh from start to finish.

"There's only one thing a man can do when he's suffering from a spiritual and existential funk."

"Go to the zoo, flip off the monkeys?"

"No.  Buy new suits"

All: "YAAY!!!"

The Cheating Pact - 4 stars out of 10

The Cheating Pact - 4 stars out of 10

“The Cheating Pact” is surprisingly interesting for a Lifetime Original Movie.  The acting was better than expected and I actually found myself caring a lot about the characters and conflict.  The film isn’t that great but I believe that we latch on to the story because we’ve all taken the SATs… I mean, the CETs (painfully obvious name alteration to avoid a lawsuit) and felt the pressure to do well with our futures in mind.  I don’t know how loosely it is based on true events, but that’s what drew me in.  If this was purely fiction, I proaly wouldn’t have gotten more than 5 minutes into it.  I really enjoyed Laura Wiggins in the role of Meredith and would be interested in seeing more films with her.  Laura Ashley Samuels (Kylie) was also very good but Max Carver was basically just a Matt Damon lookalike whose did very little for the film.  I can rarely tolerate a Lifetime Original Movie, but I will admit that I might consider watching “The Cheating Pact” again someday.

[Pictured: Seems like this cast would be overdramatic, but they were actually quite good]

Lone Survivor - 8 stars out of 10

Lone Survivor - 8 stars out of 10

“Lone Survivor” is a graphic portrayal of the war in Afghanistan.  It is based on the true story of Navy SEAL Marcus Luttrell and can be considered the “Saving Private Ryan” of modern warfare.  The extreme war violence and strong language should be taken into consideration before watching this film.  It is hard to watch at times but the images pay tribute to the bravery of our soldiers and create awareness of the sacrifices that they have made.  I was completely amazed by the resilience of these soldiers as they band together and fight for their lives with broken bones and shrapnel in their legs.  Our emotional connection with the soldiers relies on a scene early in the film in which they decide to do the right thing when encountering a group of shepherds; in fact, just thinking about the scene and the resulting Taliban attack makes me very angry.  I thought that Mark Wahlberg might be a distraction in the lead role since he is such a popular actor, but his quality acting supersedes his stardom and he truly embodies Luttrell.  All of the actors are great as you can see true agony on the faces of the SEALs and I felt particularly connected to the sympathetic Arab played by Ali Suliman.  I would find his portion of the story to be cheesy in most cases, but the fact that this sequence of events actually happened in real life restores a bit of my faith in humanity.  My main complaint with this film is the action sequences.  They move so fast that it can be difficult to follow and, while it builds the intensity that makes the film so gripping, “American Sniper” has showed me that a great script can help us to follow tactical action sequences without confusion.  Overall, “Lone Survivor” is a great film that everybody should see to better appreciate the sacrifice of our soldiers in Afghanistan.  It does justice to this unique war setting while bringing humanity to the Afghans who are on the innocent side of the conflict and face just as many trials as the soldiers.

[Pictured: The interactions between Wahlberg and Suliman create an unexpected theme]