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| Movies,
jerry carpenter,
31 October 2001 |
Rating: F4
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This is review is going to sound exactly like the one I wrote about ‘Jay and Silent Bob’. So if you want to save time just skim that one and replace Jason Mews with Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson perhaps, and use that extra time to go check out some porn or something fun like that. It’s only because both are zippy modern comedies with great beginnings that work primarily on great central characters but get a bit exhausted come the end. That said, ‘Zoolander’ is half an hour shorter so it’s a better bet. Can’t be bothered with porn right now ?..ok, read on master of your domain.
Derek Zoolander (Stiller, playing out a character created for the ‘VH-1’ awards, under whose banner this film is presented..weird ) is a world’s top male model. Derek’s position is under threat from hot new model Hansel (Wilson – he co-wrote ‘Rushmore’, so he’s a GOD) and also from that fact he’s being brain-washed to assassinate the President of Malaysia, whose reform of child labour in seat shops is putting the fashion industry under threat. You can’t really top that for a plot eh?
It’s whip-smart stuff, the pastiches of Derek’s fashion universe are spot on (their awards intros are AMAZING), and the war-of-the-models interplay between Stiller and Wilson are the highlights of the film. On the whole it’s laugh-at-the-stupid people humour, kind of like the stuff in the ‘Austin Powers’ films, but there’s enough heart put in there to keep them likable. Like ‘Jay & Silent bob’ this too is a well-stuffed cameo pie, divided evenly between stars playing themselves, or just turning up as weirdo sub characters. Special kudos to Billy Zane and Winona Ryder who are more fun playing themselves than in any of their recent performances. Even Stiller’s own Dad turns up playing Derek’s foul-mouthed manager and he’s pretty good too.
The film has it’s fair share of bum gags, which gather mainly in the latter parts of the film as the script starts to want drafting a bit more sympathy into Derek’s cause. But these don’t detract too much because the fashion runway assassination finale raises some nice goofy chuckles. Summing up, a bucket of laughs that's an empty bucket once it's over. Oooh, weird analogy.
UK rating:
12
US rating:
PG-13
Directed by Ben Stiller
with Ben Stiller, Jerry Stiller, Owen Wilson
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