Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues Continued

Well now, here's something you don't see every day: the opportunity to pay a full price cinema ticket for something that would normally amount to little more than a DVD extra. It's difficult to fully understand the reasoning behind this more adult friendly re-release since, unlike the original, Anchorman 2 actually made quite a bit of money at the box office - $170 million on a $50 million budget - and with the film having barely left cinemas since its December release, it's not like we've had the chance to miss the infamous new team yet.

Plotwise, absolutely nothing has changed, with Will Ferrell's Ron Burgandy still spearheading the flag-waving infotainment approach to news broadcasting, while trying to win back his estranged wife's (Christina Applegate) heart.

The difference here is the return of the edgy, this-could-go-anywhere humour that made the original so dangerously funny, and the original cut of the sequel so disappointing. When Anchorman 2 first arrived, it felt as if there were a checklist of scenes that must be included - jazz flute, celebrity deathmatch, an awkward date with the new love interest, etc. - that felt more by-the-numbers than actually funny. With this re-edit, the rating is up to a 15a from the original 12a, so there's more swearing and sexual innuendo, which gives the characters and the film more breathing room to do and say whatever they want.

Basically every single joke from the original cut has been replaced with a new one, or more of than not, three or four new ones, which leads us to the biggest issue of the re-issue: at nearly two and a half hours, this is almost a full hour longer than it needs to be. While there has been some smart editing out of the less funny scenes - most of the stuff with the shark is AWOL - there have been some equally lengthy new arrivals - the gang have a long musical number about what it might be like to be Gay For A Day - that are equally unfunny.

All in all, this is a slightly funnier version of the movie most people will have already seen, but unless you're a die-hard Ron Burgandy fan, there's not enough here to warrant a recommendation.