Critical response
Rotten Tomatoes reported that 75% of 204 critics gave Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues a positive review, with an average rating of 6.42/10. The site's critics consensus reads: "It's just as uneven and loosely structured as the first Anchorman – and while Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues may not be quite as quotable, it's nearly as funny as its predecessor." [61] Metacritic assigned the film a weighted average score of 61 out of 100, based on 40 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". [62] Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade "B" on an A+ to F scale. [63]
Colin Covert of the Star Tribune gave the film three out of four stars, writing, "It may not leave the same imprint on American culture as its super-quotable predecessor. But it has moments of howling hilarity and the improvisatory spirit that gave Ron Burgundy's origin story its shaggy, ramshackle charm." [64] Todd McCarthy of The Hollywood Reporter gave the film a positive review, writing, "It's bawdy, on-target in its take on what's become of TV news, and packed with wacky performers." [65] Alonso Duralde of The Wrap gave the film a negative review, writing, "It's a constant barrage of joke-joke-joke, but they're all gags that take place in the moment and are immediately shoved aside for the next one. Nothing builds. There are no setups for later payoffs." [66] Tom Huddleston of Time Out gave the film three out of five stars, writing, "Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues is not the disaster some feared it might be, but neither is it the endlessly quotable, deliciously idiotic follow-on so many of us were optimistically anticipating." [67] Joe Neumaier of the New York Daily News gave the film two out of five stars, writing, "Anchorman 2 joins Caddyshack II , Airplane II , Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo and Arthur 2: On the Rocks on the list of unnecessary sequels." [68] Stephanie Zacharek of The Village Voice gave the film a positive review, writing, "With those eyes that are a little too close together, and that confident swagger that looks as if it could disintegrate into a pratfall at any time, Ferrell makes a grand ringleader for all this nonsense." [69]
Richard Roeper gave the film four out of five stars, calling it "one of the funniest movies of the year, and in its own loony way, it's a sharp, dead-on satire." [70] Peter Howell of the Toronto Star gave the film two and a half stars out of four, writing, "Anchorman 2 is frequently amusing, with your personal hilarity meter likely to rate it higher if you enjoy seeing beloved characters acting even goofier than before." [71] Joe Williams of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch gave the film two out of four stars, writing, "The movie lacks an effective comedic structure. There's nothing to stop Ferrell and co-writer/director Adam McKay from wobbling across the fine line between stupid and clever like they've had too much scotch." [72] Rene Rodriguez of the Miami Herald gave the film one out of four stars, writing, "Fans have been clamoring for a sequel to Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy for so long, Will Ferrell (and financier Paramount Pictures) finally decided to give the people what they wanted. The moral of the story? Be careful what you wish for." [73] Peter Hartlaub of the San Francisco Chronicle gave the film three out of four stars, writing, "It's clear that the people who created the first Anchorman wanted to hang out on a set again together. That's better than getting back together just to make money." [74] Stephen Whitty of the Newark Star-Ledger gave the film two and a half stars out of four, writing, "Ferrell and director Adam McKay pushed things even further, raunchier and weirder." [75]
Ian Buckwalter of NPR gave the film a positive review, saying, "Time will tell if this film is as quotable as its predecessor, but for now, Anchorman 2 coasts along quite successfully on sheer manic eccentricity." [76] A.O. Scott of The New York Times gave the film a positive review, writing, "The sheer density of the jokes guarantees a few laughs for every taste ... and the loose, improvisational energy of the performers keeps things lively." [77] Claudia Puig of USA Today gave the film three out of four stars, writing, "The movie cleverly spoofs the 24-hour TV news cycle, as well as sexism and racism in the workplace. Not every scene is equally funny, of course, but most of the comic antics generate laughs." [78] Betsy Sharkey of the Los Angeles Times gave the film a negative review, writing, "While I'm glad Anchorman is back – we need a little levity in this year of heavy films – I do wish it were better." [79] Steven Rea of The Philadelphia Inquirer gave the film three out of four stars, writing, "Burgundy and his goofball buddies are faced with dramas and dilemmas that may seem arbitrary and contrived on paper but have an urgent puissance onscreen, as Ferrell and company act their little hearts out. OK, not really." [80] Chris Nashawaty of Entertainment Weekly gave the film a B, writing, "Comedy sequels generally follow the law of diminishing returns. If it has a 2—or, classier yet, a II—in the title, the smart money says that it won't be as funny as the original. Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues doesn't defy that axiom, but it's still plenty hilarious in a reheated sort of way." [81] Michael Phillips of the Chicago Tribune gave the film two and a half stars out of four, writing, "Maybe if I liked the first Anchorman a little less, I'd like Anchorman 2 a little more. Still, I laughed." [82]
Bill Goodykoontz of The Arizona Republic gave the film three out of five stars, writing, "For almost every aspect of the movie I want to criticize, there is a corresponding defense." [83] Soren Anderson of The Seattle Times gave the film three out of four stars, writing, "It's a piñata at which Ferrell & Co. swing away wildly. They often miss their mark, but when they connect, out fall the laughs in great big bunches." [84] Ann Hornaday of The Washington Post gave the film two and a half stars out of four, writing, "Considering the improvisatory talents – even genius – of Ferrell and his co-stars, it's no surprise that laughs abound in Anchorman 2." [85] Peter Travers of Rolling Stone gave the film three out of four stars, writing, "When is a movie fall-down funny even when some scenes fall flat on their fat ones? When it's Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues." [86] James Berardinelli of ReelViews gave the film two and a half stars out of four, commenting, "At two hours, Anchorman 2 overstays its welcome by at least 20 minutes, if not longer." [87] Ty Burr of The Boston Globe gave the film a positive review, writing, "See it with a crowd, laugh yourself silly, and feel slightly ashamed in the morning." [88] Scott Foundas of Variety gave the film a positive review, writing, "A modestly less quotable but generously funny new adventure for scotch-and-mahogany-loving 1970s newsman Ron Burgundy, here catapulted into 1980 and the dawn of the 24-hour news cycle." [89] Rafer Guzman of Newsday gave the film a positive review, writing, "This sequel may not produce any quotable lines, but to borrow one from the original: Don't act like you're not impressed." [90]
