Utterly daft and sporadically enjoyable fashion spoof starring the ever-ascendant Ben Stiller in the title role of Derek Zoolander, male model. Based off a character Stiller brought to the fore at VH1 fashion events it manages to amuse consistently whilst showing the limitations of under-developed sketch characters.
Zoolander is the world's most famous male model and a man so completely devoid of a life outside of modelling, partying and womanizing that he fails to see his career coming to an end. You see, Derek is at the end of his glorious career and being replaced by Hansel (the wonderful Owen Wilson) as the premier male model. When the two go head to head at the VH1 awards and Hansel wins Derek is so utterly in his own world that he goes up to collect the award anyway. Depressed by this and the death of three of his friends in a freak gasoline fight (one of the high points of the movie, filmed in hilarious tampaxvision) he retires from the industry and goes off to pursue more meaningful hobbies.
Obviously if that was the film it'd be pretty damn boring and short and needless to say it isn't, with the vile Jacobin Mugatu (another SNLer, Will Ferrell) luring Zoolander back for one last campaign. That this campaign will end with the death of the Malaysian Prime Minister, who by bringing in strict child labour laws is depriving the fashion industry of billions, is something not mentioned to the hapless Derek who is only too keen to accept when Mugatu shows him the plans for an institute in his honour.
Unsurprisingly the film is light and fluffy, with little real plot to get in the way of Stiller's brilliant mannerisms and childlike character. Owen Wilson is yet again superb in the role of Hansel, exuding the look and feel of a male supermodel with his own trademark light comedic touches. He's going to be a big star. Ferrell is also good as the ultra-camp Mugatu, with ridiculous clothes and hairstyle to match, and the long, long line of guest stars (Wynona Ryder, Jon Voight, David Duchovny, Billy Zane etc etc), many playing themselves, makes the whole thing seem rather warm and homely.
In the end though it's Stiller's show, directing, producing, writing and of course starring in a creation of his own. Despite his character's obvious limitations he does his absolute best to stretch out the pout and innocent look of Zoolander into a 90 minute movie, and in this he is reasonably successful. The jokes at first aren't too commonplace but after Zoolander's brainwashing at Mugatu's hands it picks up with a walk-off against Hansel, revelations by a Deep Throat character (no guessing who plays that role) and the shocking climax at a fashion show. No pisstake is left unearthed in that scene. Really it couldn't have been much better than it is, but that's not saying it's a great movie. |
