Three movies to see before ‘Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues’

This weekend, Ron Burgundy and the Channel 4 news team are back in action in “Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues.” This time, it’s the 1980s and San Diego’s finest broadcasters (played once again by Will Ferrell, Paul Rudd, Steve Carell, and David Koechner) are set to take on the world of cable news.

You’ve more than likely seen the original “Anchorman,” so if you’re looking for something to get you in the right frame of mind, here are three farcical comedies you should check out before seeing “Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues.” Sixty per cent of the time, it works every time.

“The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!” (1988)

Along with just about every other comedy made in the past few decades, the “Anchorman” movies owe a huge debt to “The Naked Gun.” Based on the short-lived TV series “Police Squad,” the film follows hapless detective Frank Drebin (Leslie Nielsen) as he attempts to find the criminals who put his partner (played by OJ Simpson) in the hospital and thwart an assassination plot against Queen Elizabeth II. Created by the same folks behind the comedy classic “Airplane!,” “The Naked Gun” is still just as funny, ridiculous, and downright strange as it was 25 years ago -- save for a few dated references (Gorbachev, Ayatollah Khomeini, etc.).

“Zoolander” (2001)

An equally goofy send-up of another vapid industry (the world of fashion) 2001’s “Zoolander” centers on one Derek Zoolander (Ben Stiller), a pea-brained male supermodel whose trademark “Blue Steel” expression has made him the hottest thing in fashion -- and an unwitting pawn in a plot to kill the Prime Minister of Malaysia. Co-starring Owen Wilson as rival model Hansel McDonald and Will Ferrell as insane clothing designer Jacobim Mugatu, “Zoolander” features cameos from David Duchovny, Vince Vaughn, Billy Zane, David Bowie, and countless others.

“The Pink Panther” (1963)

The granddaddy of the modern farce comedies, “The Pink Panther” introduced the world to Inspector Jacques Clouseau (Peter Sellers), the bumbling French police detective who cracks cases mostly by accident and through sheer luck. In his first big screen adventure, Clouseau is hot on the trail of "The Phantom," a jewel thief who intends to steal the Pink Panther, the largest diamond in the world. While many mostly awful sequels followed, the original "Pink Panther" is a gem of a film with comedic sensibilities that can still be seen in movies today.

If you're planning to see "Anchorman 2" this weekend, you should obviously consider watching the original “Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy” to brush up on your moustachioed fictional newscasters. The 2004 comedy cemented Will Ferrell’s place as a comedic leading man and continues to be one of the most quotable movies of the past decade. Great Odin's Raven!

“Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues” hits theatres on Dec. 20.