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Edwin Davies: It's pretty good, but not great considering the love for the original and the omnipresent marketing push. You can't help but wonder if the saturation put some people off the film, because there certainly seemed to be a point where the level of advertising went from funny to obnoxious.

As with other comedies released at Christmas, this one had a nice run. The really interesting thing will be seeing how it does overseas. The original made a paltry $5 million from international sales back in 2004, but it's become as much of a cult hit worldwide as it has in America, so the additional $35 million it has made so far in those venues is a considerable improvement.

Bruce Hall: I think the omnipresent marketing campaign is precisely WHY this movie has well surpassed the domestic haul of the original and (even more important) already beaten the first film's international take by a factor of nearly five. Anchorman is a true cult favorite, quoted as often by those who've never even seen it as it is by people who have seen it 20 times and regularly win at Ron Burgundy cosplay challenges.

Success on home video gave Anchorman a pretty enthusiastic core following not just in America but around the world, and it is for these people that this film is largely intended. Because of the very specific nature of this franchise's success, Paramount had a pretty safe bet on its hands. It didn't have to be a runaway hit, it just needed to be highly profitable.

Mission accomplished, and it's still got a fair amount of its theatrical run ahead of it. Then, it will clean up on home video. In every way imaginable, Anchorman 2 has already nailed it.

Felix Quinonez: I think it's good but not great. The fact that it's already doubled its production budget can't be ignored. And I'd say that it's still got some life in it. Because of this I'd definitely call it a win. But after such a huge marketing effort I feel like it should have done a bit better.

Matthew Huntley: Anchorman 2's box office numbers are certainly commendable, and I'm glad it's adding to the breadth of choices (and thus number of moviegoers) to keep the industry healthy, but the movie itself is not worthy of $109 million dollars three weeks into its run. It's a different kind of comedy, sure, but it's a misfire in my opinion, and one that's more bizarre than funny (and bizarre doesn't necessarily mean good). I'm not asking for the same gags as the original; I am, however, asking for something amusing.

Kim Hollis: I think this is a great performance, particularly as Ferrell's saturation on television (and every other marketing venue in the world) could easily have led to fatigue for the character. Heck, maybe it did. But Anchorman 2 has now outperformed the original and still has a little bit of gas in the tank before it shuffles off to become a massive hit on home video. As a huge fan of the first film, I was really worried about the sequel, but I really enjoyed it. It is unabashedly weird but by the time I left my face hurt from smiling. I don't know if there's much better praise I can give it.

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