When Zoolander came out, I remember big deal plugs that were made for this film by the media. The movie, after all, is poking fun at entertainment, in particular, the fashion and model industry. This was a hilarious take on it, and Zoolander, our main character, is stupidly lovable. Ben Stiller proves once again his flexibility with his comedic acting. Just watch 'Meet the Parents'and this, you'll think it's 2 different actors. Showing you how much work Ben can do, he also helped write and produce the movie. Owen Wilson usually ends up in a movie with Ben, and he's hilarious too. And of course Will Ferrell is always a riot. Read the Plot Outline in the details, there's not much to it. But you don't watch movies like this for incredible story lines, do you?
No, it's not an oscar winning comedy, most aren't. It's not an intelligent look at real-life, it's not the greatest storyline driven kind of movie, and it doesn't have top notch acting. But it's incredibly funny, especially the DVD. The DVD is filled with so many extra goodies, it's worth getting. The movie is filled with cameos like David Bowie, Paris Hilton, Billy Zane, AH! There are so many, you just have to see the list yourself.
Rent or buy it, and leave your brain on the table next to the popcorn. Because there's more to life then being really, really, ridiculously smart.
Zoolander
2001
Action / Comedy
Zoolander
2001
Action / Comedy
Plot summary
Derek Zoolander is VH1's three time male model of the year, but when Hansel wins the award instead, Zoolander's world becomes upside down. His friends disappear, his father is disappointed in him, and he feels that he's not good as a model anymore. But when evil fashion guru Mugatu hires Zoolander, he thinks his life has turned back round again, that is until he finds out that Mugatu has actually brainwashed him to kill the Prime Minister of Malaysia. Can Zoolander and his new friends find out how to prevent the incident before it's too late?
Uploaded by: FREEMAN
Director
Top cast
Tech specs
720p.BLU 1080p.BLUMovie Reviews
A hilarious 'poke' at the fashion industry
Silly and good for a few laughs.
If you are looking for a cerebral comedy, you certainly should not pick "Zoolander". It's dumb, rather silly and...dumb. But, it's also good for a few laughs and is a very amiable time-passer filled with lots of amazing cameos.
The film is about a narcissistic idiot male model, Derek Zoolander (Ben Stiller). He's world famous but also quite empty-headed...so empty-headed that Mugatu* (Will Ferrell) is planning on brainwashing him into murdering the president of Malaysia. Why? Well, because Mugatu and the other evil fashion designers want to keep operating their sweatshops around the globe and the new leader of Malaysia is in favor of outlawing child labor! Fortunately, a writer for "Time", Matilda Jefferies (Christine Taylor**) is there to help uncover the plot and with the help of another really stupid male model (Owen Wilson) the three of them work to disrupt Mugatu's plans.
I will freely admit that the plot is pretty shallow and nonsensical as well as the ending being a bit dumb. However, the film is still works quite well because it is still quite funny and pokes a lot of fun at the fashion/modeling industry. While it's not a hilarious, must-see comedy, it does the trick and makes you laugh. And, it's interesting to see the many, many, many cameos by the rich and famous (such as David Bowie, Donald Trump, Natalie Portman, Lenny Kravitz, Fabio, Gwen Stafani and many more) as well as a chance to see nepotism in action, as Ben Stiller's parents (Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara),his sister (Amy Stiller) and his wife (Taylor)!
*Mugatu is the name of a nasty white ape-like monster from a Star Trek episode, "A Private Little War".
**If Taylor looks familiar, you might just remember her as the actress who played Marcia in the fabulous "Brady Bunch" movies.
Stiller Family Production
I see that another Zoolander film is in the works right now with Ben Stiller repeating his character of the brain dead male model. As it's been over a decade I hope that his character ages properly with the time. His career as the 'it' boy of the fashion industry should be over by now, but no reason he can't have a son breaking into the business.
And what a business it is. Zoolander is a film with the premise that male models as a rule are so impossibly dumb and so vain about their looks that they are the most manipulatable people on the planet. And when you've got them being trained as assassins as fashion mogul Will Ferrell is doing, you've got the basis of some pretty good comedy.
The lines in Zoolander aren't really that important, this is a character driven comedy and you'll take away Ben Stiller's character of Derek Zoolander, kid from the coal mining area of South Jersey who got out of that environment and made it to the top of his profession. But a new, equally gorgeous and equally dumb Owen Wilson starts threatening the king and beats him as he goes for a fourth crown as male model of the year.
Ty Cobb when he went for tenth straight batting championship and lost to Tris Speaker never went through such soul searching as Ben Stiller does her. If he can't be the prettiest face, time to agonizingly reappraise your life. It's then when he gets signed by Will Ferrell and tricked into his brainwashed assassin's school.
Now why do you think they want the Prime Minister of Malaysia killed. It's because he's standing up for the workers in the Asian sweatshops that turn out all the designer clothes that the beautiful people wear, actually wanting them to be paid a living wage. Got a kill a radical like that.
And speaking of beautiful people an array of celebrities both play themselves and have small bit roles in the film. That includes Ben Stiller's mother Anne Meara on in the blink of an eye as an animal rights protester. Milla Jovavich has a nice turn as a beautiful assassin and Ferrell's chief killing aide. So does Christine Taylor as both investigative reporter and good girl who get 'sandwiched' between hunks Stiller and Wilson.
Although Zoolander's gags occasionally fall flat i think most people will get a portion of laughs of all kinds at Ben Stiller's and Owen Wilson marvelous characters.