The very British story revolves around spies, long lost brothers, council flats, soccer, drinking with your mates and saving the world. It also features movie star types like Mark Strong, Penélope Cruz, Mrs. Sacha Baron Cohen, Isla Fisher and that worldwide embarrassment Donald Trump.

One of the best ways to put the proceedings in perspective is to make a list of some of the props needed to bring Cohen’s ideas to fruition. Half metre long fake phallus, check. 100 litres of ejaculate, check. Stage prop scrotum, check. Enough stage blood to fix all the peeling Jackson Pollock paintings worldwide, check, and this is just a partial list.

Critics have lambasted Grimsby for being rude, crude, juvenile and exploitative and it more than excels at all those traits. It also excels at making you laugh and no matter how prim and proper you think you are, it will get through your PC amour. It’s that or basically at heart we’re all just the kind of children who still laugh at fart jokes.

Rob Hudson
www.sonypictures.com

The character of Ron Burgundy played with consummate cluelessness by Will Ferrell relies heavily on the audience’s approval of said actor. In the first film this worked out into a successful formula, but one that was more humorous in remembrance than in first viewing. In the second they ramp up the crazy (a lot) to make up for this shortfall and miss the target.

As cringe comedy, it is filled with moments of nervous laughter but the new set pieces fall flat and Ferrell try as he might can not prop up what is basically a weak script. There are some interesting cameos and the last reel, which features a battle royal amongst different news teams is the film’s most successful comic bit.

Having watched part one again in the lead up to seeing The Legend Continues, the familiarity of the routines actually helped in the enjoyment of the franchise. So when Anchorman 3 rolls around, it will be interesting to see if the same hold true for this edition.

Rob Hudson
www.anchormanmovie.com.au