If you don’t get your hands on the 4K of one of the greatest comedies about a team of newscasters to be released in the twentieth century, then I am afraid to report you might be trapped in a glass case of emotion. That is right, World. Ron Burgundy is back and he’s even more glorious in 4K ultra-high definition (UHD). Experience the party in everyone’s pants thanks to Brick Tamland and Brian Fantana’s Sex Panther in a way never seen before, in magnificent ultra-high definition. To think that a modern-ish comedy needs the 4K treatment is always a little tedious and silly, however, as we’ve seen of late from Mean Girls (2004), for example, or the interest in the soon-to-be released Game Night (2018), people want comedies on 4K. The question is whether these relatively FX-less comedy centerpieces need the upgrade; the only way to find out is to rediscover the Channel 4 News team yourself.
L-R: Paul Rudd as Brian Fantana, Will Ferrell as Ron Burgundy, David Koechner Champ Kind, and Steve Carell as Brick Tamland in ANCHORMAN: THE LEGEND OF RON BURGUNDY. Photo courtesy of Paramount Pictures.
“CANONBALL!” The easiest way to answer the aforementioned question is with a wholehearted “yes.” This 4K UHD restoration of Anchorman: The Legend of the Ron Burgundy (2004) is an astonishing transfer which could have easily come out this summer (outside of the fact that the jokes would never fly today). That is how crisp and clean this looks. It is such an incredible upgrade for one of the funniest and most obscene comedies to come out in the last 20 years, a movie that arguably could be defined as ahead of its time or as something that truly stands the test of time. But, as we’ve learned from one of the special features and the sequel (2013), this was truly lightning in a bottle. Now, sit back, don’t be an angry biker played by Jack Black punting Baxter off a bridge, and enjoy rediscovering the brilliance of legendary anchorman Ron Burgundy.
L-R: Will Ferrell as Ron Burgundy and Christina Applegate as Veronica Corningstone in ANCHORMAN: THE LEGEND OF RON BURGUNDY. Photo courtesy of Paramount Pictures.
Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy focuses on, you guessed it, Ron Burgundy (actor/co-writer Will Ferrell), who, alongside Brick (Steve Carell), Brian (Paul Rudd), and Champ (David Koechner), leads the Channel 4 News Team which is produced by Ed Harken (Fred Willard) and Garth Holliday (Chris Parnell). It’s the 1970s, so misogyny and sexual harassment are rampant in the work place, until Veronica Corningstone (Christina Applegate) enters the picture and decides she’s not going to take any bull from anyone, and catches the eye of Ron. While they both want to be head anchor, tensions boil and Ron ultimately gets fired for telling all of San Diego to f&%k themselves, leading to a downfall with an inevitable triumphant return for the world’s greatest anchorman — “It is ‘anchorman’ and not ‘anchorlady’.”
Will Ferrell as Ron Burgundy in ANCHORMAN: THE LEGEND OF RON BURGUNDY. Photo courtesy of Paramount Pictures.
Going through the special features of this three-disc release, there isn’t a singular lick of one on the 4K, but there are two (two!!!!!) Blu-ray discs with features galore on them. The first disc contains the feature and the extended cut (only available on the Blu-ray, the 4K is the theatrical). The bonus Blu-ray disc includes extras from the last Blu-ray release and the, until now, rare unrated extended cut of the film Wake Up, Ron Burgundy, which is composed of unused ideas, alternative takes, and a hodgepodge of cut footage that ultimately is not up to the level of the actual movie itself. This release boasts more than two hours of special features and extras, not including the aforementioned 94-minute additional film. There is so much San Diegan pride and News Team hijinks in these features to explore and love, that this release should be an absolute no-brainer. Aside from the movie looking absolutely magnificent in 4K, every rendition of the movie previously released is added and thrown into this package with a new extended version of Wake Up, Ron Burgundy — it simply is a must-own for any fan of the Adam McKay (Don’t Look Up) and Will Ferrel (Spirited) comedy that will surely free you from your glass case of emotion.
L-R: Christina Applegate as Veronica Corningstone and Will Ferrell as Ron Burgundy in ANCHORMAN: THE LEGEND OF RON BURGUNDY. Photo courtesy of Paramount Pictures.
Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy beams its way onto 4K, and for anyone who’s a fan of the mustached news anchor who always chooses to stay classy needs to own this exceptional edition. Never before have Ron Burgundy and friends looked so clean and crisp, managing to truly embrace the insanity of being killed by a trident all while loving lamp. Assemble your closest pals, open up the bottle of scotch, clean your mustaches, keep the Sex Panther away from lamp, and enjoy the legend of Ron Burgundy.
Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy Special Features:
Blu-ray Disc 1
- Theatrical and Extended versions of the film branched
- Commentary by Adam McKay, Will Ferrell, Lou Rawls, Andy Richter, Kyle Gass, Paul Rudd, David Koechner, and Christina Applegate
- Deleted & Extended Scenes
- Bloopers
- “Afternoon Delight” Music Video
- ESPN SportsCenter Audition – Ron Burgundy
Blu-ray Disc 2
- Wake Up Ron Burgundy: The Lost Movie
- Intro-Commentary with Will Ferrell and Aaron Zimmerman
- PSA
- Award Speech
- Raw Footage “Good Takes”
- “Afternoon Delight” Recording Session
- Interviews
- Specials
- Cast Auditions
- Table Read 6/2/03
- Rehearsals
- Playback Video
- Commercial Break
- Trailers
Available on 4K UHD Blu-ray Combo and digital July 2nd, 2024.
For more information, head to the official Paramount Pictures Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy webpage.
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Categories: Films To Watch, Home Release, Recommendation
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