by MARK SLUTSKY

For a while now, Will Ferrell has been the funniest thing about almost every flick he's ever appeared in. But last year's Elf, which marked his first starring role, showed that the guy wasn't just a scene-stealer; he could carry a feature-length on his own, and his newest, Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, reinforces that. Ferrell's the funniest, most consistent comic actor working today, and so far this newsroom comedy is the best vehicle for his talents. Co-written by Ferrell (with director, Adam McKay), Anchorman isn't just another shitty farce peppered with hilarious moments, like Old School. It's the most unrelentingly funny movie in recent memory.

Set in the '70s, Anchorman stars Ferrell as Burgundy, a San Diego newsreader with an inflated sense of his talents - his station has been number one for several years running, a fact he's extremely proud of. (It's to Ferrell's credit that he infuses the character with a sense of joyful innocence, and avoids making Burgundy a total asshole.) The other members of his news team - field reporter Brian Fantana (Paul Rudd), sports guy Champ Kind (David Koechner) and weatherman Brick Tamland (Steven Carell, The Daily Show), gather around him like acolytes. Enter into this jovially masculine atmosphere aspiring co-anchor Veronica Corningstone (Christina Applegate), who begins a romance with Ferrell, blowing his mind by refusing to downplay her career ambitions.

That's the basic plot of Anchorman, and as a story, well, it could have gone either way. But Ferrell and McKay wisely avoid spending too much time developing the plot, instead they concentrate on the yucks, which are legion. The script is full of lines obviously written to take advantage of Ferrell's comic talents; with something like, "Ahh, San Diego… always goes down smooth," he just kills. Kills!

The more elaborate comic set-pieces are pretty great, too. I mean, this is a movie that has several dog jokes that are actually funny, which is something of a cultural miracle. There are problems with pacing, sure, and some weirdness with the multiple voice-overs, but those qualms aside, Anchorman is the best comedy as of late.

Anchorman opens Friday, July 16

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