Top Box Office Movies

Zoolander (2001) Paramount Pictures
1 hr. 30 mins.
Starring: Ben Stiller, Jerry Stiller, Owen Wilson, Will Ferrell and a whole bunch of Cameos.
Directed by: Ben Stiller

Zoolander

Rating:

E-MAIL GIANCARLO DE LISI

Photo: Paramount Pictures

Perhaps one of the main reasons a person can be disappointed in 'Zoolander' is due to the high expectations of star/director Ben Stiller. I have been a fan of Stiller since his early films including his funniest picture 'Flirting with Disaster' and on his TV series. In this film, Stiller returns to the Director's chair after directing the superb yet misunderstood 'The Cable Guy'.

One could say Zoolander can also be a misunderstood film. In this film, there is no subtle, dark comedy as in 'The Cable Guy'; only pure laughs in the midst of the weirdest plot since the original 'Ace Ventura' film. The story is constructed around the villain Mugatu. He is a clothes designer with the most outlandish sense of style; here played by Will Ferrell.

In a nutshell, the plot goes like this: Mugatu's clothes are made in Malaysia where he relies on child labor to make a large profit. When Malaysia has a new President who vows on banning this form of labor, Mugatu hires Stiller's Zoolander character to brainwash him into assassinating the President at the next Fashion Show.

Stiller plays the male super model who is seemingly at the end of his career; thus tempting him to take the job. 'Zoolander' is surrounded with great actors such as Stiller, Ferrell and the Fantastic Owen Wilson (Armageddon, Meet the Parents). Wilson plays Hansel; the new super model who forces Zoolander into seclusion after a botched awards show that serves as the catalyst for the end of Zoolander's career - A great scene.

At the beginning of the critique I stated that perhaps one of the main reasons for being somewhat disappointed in Zoolander is the level of anticipation I had for this film. After a wretched summer movie season, I told myself I had to wait until the 28th of September to have a hard laugh. And while the laughs are plentiful, I must admit; they are quite forgettable.

Stiller conveys the egocentricity of his Zoolander character tremendously, and his supporting cast including cameos from David Duchovny, Lenny Kravitz, Fabio and Winona Ryder all add to the laughs in this funny yet seemingly empty film. It reminds me unfortunately of a string of comedic scenes strung together in a comedic fashion. And while the film is funny, warm and gives you that feel-good 'shot' at the end - it could have been so much more.

The main drawback to this film is that it falls into that category where every hero goes back to his roots to rediscover themselves after failed attempts. This is no exception - after Zoolander is not the male model of the world he goes back to Jersey where his father Jon Voight is a coal miner and disowns him once again. Thus of course forcing Zoolander to try again and prove himself to be the best and unknowingly save the President. All this of course with the help of a female (Stiller's real life wife Christine Taylor) who of course - they fall in love. This film caters to all the past cliches in other comedic films yet still manages to remain fresh by showing us a truly comedic glimpse into the fashion world.

Despite its' tackiness and emptiness, one will find Zoolander a good laugh that is disappointing in terms of its' ability to remain constant and enjoyable. Some scenes have no place yet others shine, showing the audience that there is an imbalance within the film, but hopefully we won't notice. Unfortunately we do, and no matter how many cameos, we still notice these flaws that turn the film into one to watch at a 'cheapie night' at the movies. A good laugh, yet unfortunately nothing more.

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Giancarlo De Lisi
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