kelseygrimes-65412 Zoolander came right on the heels of 9/11 and was thus overshadowed because the film isn't as widely remembered as it should be. This is one of the finest performances by Ben Stiller and he teams up yet again with Owen Wilson to make a memorable comedy. Zoolander is set in the fashion world which in itself is a minefield of jokes and jibes. Then there is a subplot to kidnap the Malaysian Prime Minister by the evil henchmen played over the top hilarious by Will Ferrell. Chock full of cameos this is a great film. Do not miss.

Screen_Blitz Ben Stiller is the titular character of this comedy that does not believe in being particularly smart. It is dumb, but with such infectious comedic energy by Stiller and friend Owen Wilson poured on screen, it is funny enough to look past how ridiculous it gets. Stiller, also filling in the director's chair, conducts a comedy that lends a satirical look at the modeling industry and how competition can bring out both the best and the worst in those who compete for the big prize. This is where the small, but significant amount of cleverness comes into the picture. But it is Stiller and Wilson are smoke the air with their comedic energy to make this into a film that offers just enough laughs and fun to compensate for its short runtime. While it certainly isn't consistently funny, with occasional botched attempts at humor, it knows how to tickle the funny bone for a film that resists against engaging the brain. This film follows acclaimed fashion model Derek Zoolander (played by Ben Stiller), a three-time consecutive award winner who is on his way to claiming his fourth prize as "Model of The Year". All this hopes are eventually crushed when the prize goes to his rival Hansel (played by Owen Wilson). To make matters worse, he find himself on the cover of a magazine mocked as an "idiot" by columnist Matilda (played by Christine Taylor). Throwing in the towel, Zoolander decides to pursue on a new path, possibly opening up an institute for children who have trouble reading. His goals are soon put a halt by dubious fashion designer Mugatu (played by Will Ferrell) who uses a machine to brainwash him into killing the prime minister of Malaysia as an outcry against child labor. With this mind out of whack, you must turn to Matilda and form a bond with his rival Hansel to help from committing this diabolical plot. Ben Stiller leads a cast of comedic veterans who seem to have fun acting like dimwits, and the result is a ride through whacky stupidity. But if you are willing to scoot past the dominating stupidity and the politically offensive plot of assassinating a foreign leader for a debatable cause, you are rewarded with a hilarious good time. This film offers a clever escapism into dumb territory where acting foolish equates to gut-busting laughter and its cast prove their ability for displaying solid comedic timing, even when it fails on an occasional basis. Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson cook up an infectious comic energy in nearly scene they both meet on screen, and the energy unravels into funny laugh-out-loud sequences including a fashion showdown scene, another segment owing homage to '2001: A Space Odyssey', and the final scene showcasing their attempts at turning the tables on the comically antagonistic Will Ferrell. Supplementing these scenes are loads of unexpected celebrity cameos including David Bowie, Natalie Portman, Lenny Kravitz, Cuba Gooding Jr. and many others. On the other hand, there are moments where the cast falls shorts when taking a stab at the funny bone, whether it is from attempting slapstick gags that are better fit for 'The Three Stooges', or spewing vulgar, but PG-13 friendly dialogue. No need to worry though, Stiller, Wilson, and Ferrell manage to compensate for some of the dull moments. Christine Taylor, Stiller's wife, and Jerry Stiller (playing Zoolander's agent), his dad, have a few good lines, but perhaps not enough to count for memorable roles. For Taylor, her most memorable would be an orgy scene that demands for editing cuts when the film was initially slapped with an R-rating. Zoolander is a comedy loaded with laughter and infectious charisma, and Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, and Will Ferrell deserve the credit for this. Yes, it is goofy, but it is a goofy ride that is worth hopping into if you are hungry for some feel-good laughs. While the movie isn't consistently with its hilarity, it is definitely enough to warrant a viewing for a fair number of comedic fanatics.

tkjohns131 So, Zoolander. I'm really unimpressed so far. There a couple of good moments, but I'm not liking the main point. To be fair, I could just be a bit of a prude or whatever, but I'm not really feeling it. It doesn't help that this movie has been hyped to all hell. I mean, I could definitely get into a movie like Anchorman, but it's pretty simplistic and whatnot. I mean, not a really fan of any of the characters. Derek has some good qualities, in his desire to help the children, but it just seems like an easy way to make him a somewhat relatable character, and abandon it early after it brings him back. The backstory with his family seems pretty predictable, though I'm sure they'll do something with it by the end. Hansel is kind of a cool guy I guess, but there's not much to him. Also, Derek and Hansel are so dumb, it kind of takes away from the plot. I mean, the whole computer joke was telegraphed to all hell, though it didn't help that it's part of the movie that I believe I've seen before. Matilda's there, for some reason. I mean, just to kind of give that one lady her "lady comeuppance," and that is kind of stupid. I mean, also for some weird bulimia jokes, some no sex jokes, and for Derek. I mean, I don't want to get SJW on this, but not exactly gonna pass any Bechdel tests (or just the 1, I guess). With Maury running around, none of the women have a particularly nice time of it anyway, I guess. Will Ferrell is probably the best part, and he's only all right.If nothing else, the plot is kind of fun. I mean, it's interesting at least. And some of the jokes work pretty well; probably the best would be Will Ferrell's crazy dancing in the hypnotizing scene, and during the credits as well. The quotable ones were possibly the most disappointing, though. "Crazy Pills," and "a building for ants," were pretty telegraphed for those who knew it was coming, and if you didn't know about them from general internet culture, I feel as though they wouldn't be as significant or useful.As a last ditch effort, I'd like to try to gain some respect for it by putting myself in the shoes of the movie, and trying to see what the point/purpose/goal was, a la Movie Bob. To spitball, and see if I can find it, I could assume general entertainment, some satire, owed to the eating disorders, general vapid nature of the models, and corruption of the fashion industry. I don't know much about the time of this movie being out, but I can't really think of anything late 90s or early 00s. All in all, pretty underwhelming.

SquigglyCrunch Zoolander follows the male model Derek Zoolander as he embarks on a journey to discover who he truly is and is ultimately manipulated into doing something evil for the sake of another person. That plot synopsis was not very good, but with a movie like this it's hard to get one that is. Zoolander is a very odd movie. The humor is very goofy and dumb, but it's also very good and pretty clever at times. It's easy to laugh at and enjoy, and it truly is just a weird movie. As far as character depth and plot development goes, this movie does lack. It doesn't show during the movie because it's clear that this is kind of it's intention. It's not trying to be a masterpiece, it's just trying to make you laugh. And it does just that. I don't wish that it'd been deeper or anything, either. With a movie like this that simply wouldn't make any sense. Every time it did 'go deeper' that moment was immediately shot down by some goofy joke, further proving that the movie was trying to be anything but deep or emotional.Overall Zoolander is a lot of fun. It's very funny in a dumb and goofy way. While nothing about it is particularly deep or developed, it's clear that it's not supposed to be. And that's not a bad thing. It was made to entertain and that's what it did. In the end I would recommend this movie.