Zoolander (2001)

If you are looking for a cerebral comedy, you certainly should not pick "Zoolander". It's dumb, rather silly and...dumb. But, it's also good for a few laughs and is a very amiable time-passer filled with lots of amazing cameos.

The film is about a narcissistic idiot male model, Derek Zoolander (Ben Stiller). He's world famous but also quite empty-headed...so empty-headed that Mugatu* (Will Ferrell) is planning on brainwashing him into murdering the president of Malaysia. Why? Well, because Mugatu and the other evil fashion designers want to keep operating their sweatshops around the globe and the new leader of Malaysia is in favor of outlawing child labor! Fortunately, a writer for "Time", Matilda Jefferies (Christine Taylor**) is there to help uncover the plot and with the help of another really stupid male model (Owen Wilson) the three of them work to disrupt Mugatu's plans.

I will freely admit that the plot is pretty shallow and nonsensical as well as the ending being a bit dumb. However, the film is still works quite well because it is still quite funny and pokes a lot of fun at the fashion/modeling industry. While it's not a hilarious, must-see comedy, it does the trick and makes you laugh. And, it's interesting to see the many, many, many cameos by the rich and famous (such as David Bowie, Donald Trump, Natalie Portman, Lenny Kravitz, Fabio, Gwen Stafani and many more) as well as a chance to see nepotism in action, as Ben Stiller's parents (Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara), his sister (Amy Stiller) and his wife (Taylor)!

*Mugatu is the name of a nasty white ape-like monster from a Star Trek episode, "A Private Little War".

**If Taylor looks familiar, you might just remember her as the actress who played Marcia in the fabulous "Brady Bunch" movies.

Fmovies: Not a favorite on the first viewing, when it premiered, this movie is - I have to admit it now - hysterical. Don't forget that it's a parody, it's quirky, completely ridiculous, insane & over the top and yes, people in it act stupidly. I'm not a fan of Ben Stiller, I haven't enjoyed any other movies of his, but this is spot on. I say justice has been done: it's been finally revealed that stupidity knows no gender when it comes to the fashion world, and it comes in epic proportions.

By the way, the fashion world redeemed itself by participating in this movie. Watch for the countless cameos from famous people in the industry. The fact that they accepted to make a little fun of themselves shows that they do have a sense of humor, and that's quite refreshing.

Oh, and Jon Voight deserves an Oscar for his deadpan performance as Derek's estranged father. He made me break down and cry tears of laughter over the terrible drama of the Zoolander family. Words are useless here, just watch the movie!

In Entertainment Weekly, Ben Stiller described this feature-length adventure of the moronic male model he created for the VH1 Fashion Awards as "MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE meets EYES OF LAURA MARS." Me, I can sum it up in two words: "AUSTIN Posers." No, better yet, I'll boil it down to one word: "endearing." That's right, endearing! As lighthearted as it is lightheaded, this daffy spoof of conspiracy thrillers and the mad, mod world of male models and other hipsters has a surprising undercurrent of sweetness to it. Star/director/co-writer/co-producer Stiller plays dopey Derek Zoolander as a gentle, essentially kind-hearted naif under his hip veneer. The same is true of Owen Wilson, putting his twang and quirky humor to good use as Derek's rustic yet hippy-dippy rival-turned-ally Hansel. I suspect folks will like ZOOLANDER even better on DVD, since there are tons of hilarious extended scenes and deleted scenes as well as the original Zoolander TV sketches that Stiller & Co. did for VH1. As Derek says in the voiceover intros on the DVD menu, the ZOOLANDER disc is a wonderful introduction to "the world of DiviDuh"! :-)

Zoolander fmovies. Is it dumb? Yes. Do you get dumber watching it? Yes. There is little argument that Zoolander is the dumbest movie of the new millennium, but it is so well done in it's stupidity it is really worth seeing. I found myself breathless from excessive laughter several times throughout this picture, so leave your brain in the lobby and prepare to laugh at perhaps some of the dumbest jokes in a Hollywood movie, ever!

Ben Stiller is the titular character of this comedy that does not believe in being particularly smart. It is dumb, but with such infectious comedic energy by Stiller and friend Owen Wilson poured on screen, it is funny enough to look past how ridiculous it gets. Stiller, also filling in the director's chair, conducts a comedy that lends a satirical look at the modeling industry and how competition can bring out both the best and the worst in those who compete for the big prize. This is where the small, but significant amount of cleverness comes into the picture. But it is Stiller and Wilson are smoke the air with their comedic energy to make this into a film that offers just enough laughs and fun to compensate for its short runtime. While it certainly isn't consistently funny, with occasional botched attempts at humor, it knows how to tickle the funny bone for a film that resists against engaging the brain. This film follows acclaimed fashion model Derek Zoolander (played by Ben Stiller), a three-time consecutive award winner who is on his way to claiming his fourth prize as "Model of The Year". All this hopes are eventually crushed when the prize goes to his rival Hansel (played by Owen Wilson). To make matters worse, he find himself on the cover of a magazine mocked as an "idiot" by columnist Matilda (played by Christine Taylor). Throwing in the towel, Zoolander decides to pursue on a new path, possibly opening up an institute for children who have trouble reading. His goals are soon put a halt by dubious fashion designer Mugatu (played by Will Ferrell) who uses a machine to brainwash him into killing the prime minister of Malaysia as an outcry against child labor. With this mind out of whack, you must turn to Matilda and form a bond with his rival Hansel to help from committing this diabolical plot.

Ben Stiller leads a cast of comedic veterans who seem to have fun acting like dimwits, and the result is a ride through whacky stupidity. But if you are willing to scoot past the dominating stupidity and the politically offensive plot of assassinating a foreign leader for a debatable cause, you are rewarded with a hilarious good time. This film offers a clever escapism into dumb territory where acting foolish equates to gut-busting laughter and its cast prove their ability for displaying solid comedic timing, even when it fails on an occasional basis. Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson cook up an infectious comic energy in nearly scene they both meet on screen, and the energy unravels into funny laugh-out-loud sequences including a fashion showdown scene, another segment owing homage to '2001: A Space Odyssey', and the final scene showcasing their attempts at turning the tables on the comically antagonistic Will Ferrell. Supplementing these scenes are loads of unexpected celebrity cameos including David Bowie, Natalie Portman, Lenny Kravitz, Cuba Gooding Jr. and many others. On the other hand, there are moments where the cast falls shorts when taking a stab at the funny bone, whether it is from attempting slapstick gags that are better fit for 'The Three Stooges', or spewing vulgar, but PG-13 friendly dialogue. No need to worry though, Stiller, Wilson, and Ferrell manage to compensate for some of the dull moments. Christine Taylor, Stiller's wife, and Jerry Stiller (playing Zoolander's agent), his dad, have a few good lines, but perhaps not enough to count for memorable roles. For Taylor, her most memorable would be an orgy scene that demands for editing cuts when the film was initi

When Zoolander came out, I remember big deal plugs that were made for this film by the media. The movie, after all, is poking fun at entertainment, in particular, the fashion and model industry. This was a hilarious take on it, and Zoolander, our main character, is stupidly lovable. Ben Stiller proves once again his flexibility with his comedic acting. Just watch 'Meet the Parents'and this, you'll think it's 2 different actors. Showing you how much work Ben can do, he also helped write and produce the movie. Owen Wilson usually ends up in a movie with Ben, and he's hilarious too. And of course Will Ferrell is always a riot. Read the Plot Outline in the details, there's not much to it. But you don't watch movies like this for incredible story lines, do you?

No, it's not an oscar winning comedy, most aren't. It's not an intelligent look at real-life, it's not the greatest storyline driven kind of movie, and it doesn't have top notch acting. But it's incredibly funny, especially the DVD. The DVD is filled with so many extra goodies, it's worth getting. The movie is filled with cameos like David Bowie, Paris Hilton, Billy Zane, AH! There are so many, you just have to see the list yourself.

Rent or buy it, and leave your brain on the table next to the popcorn. Because there's more to life then being really, really, ridiculously smart.