CinemaNerdz

Movie Review: Zoolander 2

Scott Davis

It’s been fifteen years since Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson have played Derek Zoolander and Hansel, respectively, and time has not been kind to them. Zoolander came out in 2001 making only $45 million domestically against a $28 million budget, but strong home video sales and a devoted cult following helped put plans in motion for Zoolander 2. With development being traced back all the way to 2008, the film has had a long and troubled journey, but luckily the film has made it to the big screen with most of Zoolander 2 Posterthe original cast members and crew attached. Not so lucky for fans however, is that everyone involved was unable to capture what made the original so special as Zoolander 2 is ultimately a sloppy, lazy and mostly unfunny farce.

When beautiful pop stars (Justin Bieber for example) are being hunted and killed with the “Blue Steel” look on their face, Interpol agent Valentina (Penélope Cruz) recruits Zoolander and Hansel to help her track down the culprit. That sounds like a funny premise, but what starts out as mildly amusing quickly turns convoluted and unnecessarily messy as the writers try to cram in as many references and characters as possible. The result comes off as lazy since most of the jokes land with a deafening thud. The filmmakers and everyone involved has good intentions, but what worked well fifteen years ago clearly does not work now, as most of the jokes seem incredibly dated and unfunny.

Ben Stiller reprises his role as not only the protagonist Zoolander, but as co-writer and director as well. Stiller has actually done some impressive work behind the camera since Zoolander, including the satirical Tropic Thunder (2008) and the underrated The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2013). Watching Zoolander 2, I did not recognize any of his normal directorial flairs (not that he has any true trademarks), but I was very disappointed to see his name pop up as the director when the credits started to roll. The film overall has a very lazy and unfocused feel that is usually not seen in Stiller films. Not only do most of the jokes fall flat but the tone does not match the first film’s playful and silly one. It feels like Stiller has been away from this world for too long and tried the same things the first one accomplished. For whatever reason (writing, directing, acting), it just doesn’t work this time and that’s a shame.

Rejoining Stiller are Owen Wilson, Will Ferrell, and Christine Taylor (Stiller’s actual wife), all reprising their roles from the first film. They all do a fine job considering the material they are given, but no one specifically stands out. Kristen Wiig and Cruz are the two newcomers that get the most screen time, but again, they are not given much to work with (especially Wiig) and fall flat.

The film is filled to the brim with cameos, which might actually be the highlight of the movie. All sorts of different celebrities make a brief appearance, and while they all don’t work, there are some that are thrown in there for a good laugh (Kiefer Sutherland is a standout).

Overall, Zoolander 2 is a huge step down from the original and continues the trend of disappointing comedy sequels. Instead of improving on the first and providing a funny satirical look at the fashion industry, the filmmakers seemed to be content with aiming for the lowest hanging fruit and retreading what they did fifteen years earlier. The result feels dated and lazy, which is disappointing considering there is real talent attached to this film.

Scott Davis

Scott Davis is a recent graduate of Oakland University where he earned a degree in journalism. He worked for the student newspaper on campus, The Oakland Post, where he became the paper's managing editor. He also earned a minor in Cinema Studies at OU. Scott enjoys all things film and TV related, especially the blockbuster kind. He might be the biggest Christopher Nolan fan you know.
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