Verdicts are out for the sequel of the cult-comedy about Ron Burgundy and his motley crew of television news reporters, but they do not ring unanimous.

The dominating response for Anchorman 2: The Legend of Ron Burgundy suggests that the film comes with its share of flaws and is an overkill, though critics still argue that the film is worth watching.

Vanity Fair ("overdoes it"), Telegraph, and San Francisco Gate ("silly fun") seem to be holding back on their love for Burgundy and his troupe. SFGate believes that the film is essentially held up by the tremendous talent of its cast, saying it is very funny but a "disappointment only to those who expect to see something bold and new." The film recycles a lot of the old jokes from the original, which makes it seem like a schematic cash-grab, according to the Telegraph.

ABC confers that the film tries too hard in places, adding that the "one-scene gag is unnecessarily dragged out."

Some also feel that Kristen Wiig's talent was wasted in the film and her character as Brick Tamland (Steve Carrell's) love interest seems superfluous.

The Hollywood Reporter feels like the film requires some patience from the viewer, suggesting that it has a shaky start but progresses into a more defined territory and thought-out humor writing.

Read the reviews here:

"The film is all impulse, making sudden but unpredictable moves only in the vague direction of a point. Whenever there's a choice between a humorous situation for Ron Burgundy or plot cohesion, Anchorman creators Adam McKay and Will Ferrell always choose the gag...

"And yet it's very funny, a disappointment only to those who expect to see something bold and new. True, the filmmakers and cast coast on their talent throughout the film. It's a tribute to that talent when the movie still comes close to achieving its high expectations." -- SFGate

"There are plenty of gags to like in Anchorman 2, among them a melee between various news outlets (the movie is chock-full of big-name cameos) that's so stupid and over-the-top it's almost sublime. But the film's tedious middle stretch and abundance of tin-eared jokes exhausted my good will by the end. Golden opportunities are missed, like giving Kristen Wiig something actually interesting to do as Brick's love interest, and unfunny jokes are dragged out far too long." -- Vanity Fair

"Yet in the same way that old bands feel obliged to roll out their greatest hits in concert, Anchorman 2 retreads many of the first film's jokes and ideas, and in these moments, it feels more like a schematic cash-grab. Old characters meet new matches, or at least vague doppelgängers: Ron finds a rival in a younger, more snappily dressed newscaster played by James Marsden, and the simple-minded weatherman Brick Tamland (Carell) falls in love with an even simpler-minded secretary played by Kristen Wiig." -- Telegraph

"Especially toward the beginning, the filmmaking is quite clunky and lacking in finesse. But the comic potential of individual scenes reaps the benefit of what one would imagine to have been lots of rewriting, improv and careful preparation, as a good percentage of the funny stuff is right on the money.

"Ferrell, who must have the most crooked bottom teeth of any film star ever, is, as before, adunderheaded delight in this role; his charged exchanges with the live-wire Good in the romantic interludes and with arch-rival Marsden at the office are particular highlights. Comedically, everyone's on the same page here, which means that, even when things flag, more fun isn't far off." -- The Hollywood Reporter

"In some places, Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues just tries too hard. As fantastic as Kristen Wiig is as a performer, her character here - as Brick Tamland's love interest - isn't really necessary, and what really should've been a one-scene gag is unnecessarily dragged out. Besides, Brick is a one-man comedy machine who, I believe, could carry his own movie. Speaking of dragged out, Ron's ascension to stardom and the struggles he endures to get there are funny, but also get a bit long.

"Thematically, Ferrell and McKay do a nice job of sending up the 24/7 news cycle and the underlying question of 'what is news?' They also deliver a great message: don't let anything get between you and your family - and that includes Oscar winners, brilliant comedy minds, dead Civil War generals, and a minotaur. Confused? Let's just say the street battle scene from the first movie gets a serious upgrade here...

"With Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues, Ferrell and company do a nice job of reining in the desire to outdo the first movie by just letting the characters and jokes organically evolve - mostly. To quote Mr. Fantana again: 60 percent of the time, it works every time." -- ABC

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