ZOOLANDER

2001

This satire of modern pop culture in general, and the model business specifically, is about as funny as a movie with this plot/theme can be. We laughed a lot at the funny situations, the dialogue, the unusual cameos, and we smiled even more throughout this combination male model/James Bond parody. Just about everyone in the Stiller family (Jerry Stiller, Anne Meara, Christine Taylor) is in the film, which was also written and directed by son Ben. From what I understand it's an expansion of a skit that Ben Stiller wrote for the VH1 model awards (or something like that,) and that's the problem. It plays like a short skit that's been retrofitted to the large screen and expanded in length to 10 times it's original playing time. Basically it's a one-joke movie, and blowing it up to a full-length film strains it beyond its limits as a comedy piece. Go to see it for some well-needed laughs and to spot the dozen or so famous actors, models and designers who play cameo roles.

3 Stars

NJB

Ben Stiller is Derek Zoolander, the world's most famousest male super model. He's also so dumb that he is unknowingly trained as a lethal killer and brainwashed to murder the leader of a foreign country that has just outlawed child "sweatshop" labor. Much like MYSTERY MEN, this film's jokes all center on one central theme: that male models are dumb, self-centered, and make great assassins. Surprisingly though, this worked over and over again for me. While the majority of the jokes are more like "that's very clever and very amusing" rather than "ah hahahahaha," there are still enough laugh-out-loud-and-squirt-milk-out-your-nose jokes to make you glad you decided not to stay in to watch the new Fall lineup. Ben brings along a cast that includes father Jerry, wife Christine Taylor, Owen Wilson, Will Ferrell and lots and lots of cameos. Its silly and gets a bit repetitive at times, but I give it a strong video recommendation.

3.5 Stars

CDF