Flick Picks: Ron Burgundy's back and he's staying classy
FLICK PICKS: The comedy sequel you've been wanting for years is finally here. Find out what movies to watch this weekend, with Leigh Paatsch.
Movies
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Calling all comedy fans! The sequel you have been wanting for almost a decade is finally here. Ron Burgundy is back in the big-screen buffoonery business. Has it been worth the wait for ANCHORMAN 2 : THE LEGEND CONTINUES? Yeah, pretty much so. Bearing in mind the original Anchorman mined a rich vein of surrealist humour to become a genuine modern classic, this solid follow-up does not let the side down. It is the 1980s, and a history-making 24-hour news channel is about to launch. Does Ron (a superb Will Ferrell) want in? No need to answer to that. Along the way, Ron goes blind. Ron raises a killer shark from birth. Ron pays for perms for everyone. Ron thinks that psychiatrists are psychics. You get the picture. And you will get the jokes, of which there are literally hundreds (which explains the marathon two-hour running time). Co-stars Christina Applegate, Paul Rudd, Steve Carell, Kristin Wiig.
{General release}
IT'S THE THAW THAT COUNTS
It is not hard to warm to what the excellent new Disney animated fantasy FROZEN has in store for its all-ages audience. When the royally bred Elsa (Idina Menzel) loses command of her mystical power to generate ice and snow - plunging the whole of her kingdom into an endless winter - she goes into hiding in the mountains. Elsa's plucky younger sister Anna (Kristen Bell) is understandably concerned, and commences an urgent search. Frozen melts the iciest resistance is by virtue of quality writing, vibrant visuals (well worth the 3D premium surcharge) and a brace of catchy musical set-pieces. The pacing is sprightly, the story is deceptively involving, and the voice cast meet the challenge of balancing comedy, drama and song with consummate ease.
{General release}
GROWING UP WITHOUT THE AID OF GROWN-UPS
If you missed the gripping drama WHAT MAISIE KNEW during its limited run in cinemas, make a point of tracking it down on home video. Maisie (a stunning performance by Onata Aprile) is seven years old. She lives in New York City. Her mother, Susanna (Julianne Moore), is a washed-up rock star. Her dad, Beale (Steve Coogan) is just a wash-out. All that Maisie ever hears is her parents fighting. They are no longer together, but apart they are as damaging to the welfare of their daughter as they have ever been. This brilliantly-acted study in emotional neglect as child abuse can be quite wrenching to watch. Though Maisie is living in relatively affluent surrounds, the worry for her well-being steadily rises throughout the picture. Reminiscent of the great Kramer Vs. Kramer for how it details the final malfunctions of a broken family unit.
{DVD, Blu-ray, Selected streaming services}