Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy

There was a time when men ruled the news floor, and it was during this time that Ron Burgundy was a king to San Diego. His lead-anchor status and well-groomed moustache made him the envy of his fellow man and an object of desire for brainless women, but Ron (Will Ferrell) is growing tired of his party lifestyle and is looking for true love and happiness. Enter Veronica Corningstone, an up-and-coming news anchor who can easily dethrone Ron and the entire sexist world of news coverage, if she can just land the perfect opportunity to prove herself. After avoiding Ron and his workmates' crude advances, Veronica (Christina Applegate) finally falls for Ron after a dazzling display of jazz flute during a "platonic" date. The two quickly fall in love but suffer many obstacles, including Ron's inability to keep their office romance a secret. Things completely fall apart though when Ron is unable to deliver the news because he is too preoccupied by the fact that his beloved dog has just been punted over a bridge after an altercation with a biker thug. Veronica begs the boss to give her the chance to take Ron's place and she performs exceptionally, and is thus promoted to the first female co-anchor. The majority of Anchorman deals with obscene amounts of gender equality, but those who know how to take a joke shouldn't be offended. The writing is a fine balance of the completely absurd and the downright clever, thanks to the winning team of Saturday Night Live alumni Adam McKay and Will Ferrell. The DVD's presentation is a little mediocre, with unappealing and static menus, but the content is pretty top-notch, including deleted scenes that are more than alternate takes, being full-on segments that could have easily stayed in the film's final cut. The commentary with McKay and Ferrell is one of the funniest and most original takes on film narration to date. Not only do the pair not mention a single thing about the film, merely seeing what words they can get away with blurting out and trying to out-do each other with vulgarities, but the cameos are quite brilliant. Andy Richter and Kyle Gass drop by when they catch wind that McKay and Ferrell are doing commentary on a film that they feel they should have been involved in, leading to a heated argument that results in violence and their ejection from the room. But the greatest moment is Lou Rawls (yes, that Lou Rawls) dropping by, somewhat confused, to take part in a commentary for a film he's never even seen. Barely any of the commentary has anything to do with the making of Anchorman, but it's one of the most engaging dialogues in DVD history. Other little nuggets, such as Ron's audition for ESPN, where he insults the station by announcing that an all-sports network is ridiculous, should have you in stitches. The strength of Anchorman and its DVD release depends on your love for Will Ferrell and his brand of comedy. For fans of the comedian, you will laugh to the point of tears. If you're not down with his sense of humour, it's your loss. Plus: Ron's MTV Movie Awards interview with Rebecca Romijn-Stamos, the making of Anchorman and "Afternoon Delight" video. (DreamWorks/Universal)