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Ben Stiller looking far less ridiculous than he does in Zoolander 2
D+Sometimes, movie sequels are worth the wait. George Miller spent nearly 30 years developing Mad Max: Fury Road, and the result was one of the best films of 2015. And sometimes they aren’t. Ben Stiller waited 15 years after the original to make Zoolander 2, and the result is one of the worst films of 2016.
Zoolander was a satire on the fashion industry and, specifically, handsome but empty-headed male models like Derek Zoolander (Stiller) and his arch-rival Hansel (Owen Wilson). The sequel pretty much goes over the same ground, with the now over-the-hill Derek and Hansel teaming up with Interpol agent Valentina Valencia (Penelope Cruz) to investigate the assassinations of various celebrities, including Justin Bieber. Eventually, the trail leads to the villainous fashion designer from the original film, Mugatu (Will Ferrell).
Stiller’s social satire was already on the way out in 2001, and it’s completely passé now, as nobody really cares all that much about high fashion in a social media world in which a single viral video can turn anyone into a trendsetter. Nor has Stiller found any suitable replacement targets for his barbs. Indeed, the opening segment, which pokes fun at Bieber and the selfie phenomenon, is about the only thing remotely resembling cutting edge satire in Zoolander 2. Lacking any good new material, Stiller doubles down on the idiocy humor, outlandish outfits, and celebrity cameos that occasionally worked in the original movie. However, he repeats the same jokes numerous times to increasingly lesser effect. He also adds a new character in Zoolander 2, Derek’s overweight, tweener son (Cyrus Arnold). This character allows Stiller both to insert tasteless, unfunny fat jokes into the script and, at the same time, hypocritically feign a theme of tolerance. Occasionally, the new material is funny, most notably in Kristen Wiig‘s hilarious performance as a designer who mangles the English language worse than she mangles fashion. Far more often, it isn’t, such as Benedict Cumberbatch‘s bizarre androgynous model named All. In a movie that glorifies stupidity, the single dumbest thing about Zoolander 2 was the decision to make the film in the first place.
Continue reading on Zoolander 2: Mini-review
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