The inherent problem with sequels is that you're trying to re-bottle the predecessor's lightning without it seeming stale or rehashed. It's a precarious tightrope to tread, and it's even worse with comedies. Jokes just aren't as funny second time around, meaning re-visiting old material is fraught with peril. With Anchorman 2, this cut both ways fans were eager to see what the news team would do next, but also wanted the old magic back. Again, it's a hard task, and to some reviewers the sequel was a pale imitation of its predecessor new jokes didn't land as well as their forebears, and McKay and Ferrell seemed content to wheel out the classics when the script was looking thin. Plus there was that whole interlude with the shark, which was either freaking hilarious or downright baffling depending on how you sliced it. Yet we didn't want them to re-invent the wheel. It was just meant to be silly, brash and topple into the surreal at a moment's notice. Plus, the fact we even got to see Ron Burgundy back on screen was a treat in itself, diminishing returns be damned. Throw in some oddly well-placed on-the-nose social satire and you had a decent film which satisfied sequel-hunters, even as it occasionally divided critics.
Durham University graduate and qualified sports journalist. Very good at sitting down and watching things. Can multi-task this with playing computer games. Football Manager addict who has taken Shrewsbury Town to the summit of the Premier League.
You can follow me at @Ed_OwenUK, if you like ramblings about Newcastle United and A Place in the Sun. If you don't, I don't know what I can do for you.
