Review: ‘Zoolander 2’ doesn’t have much to offer, but it does have laughs

Posted on February 19, 2016

By MARK VIOLA

It’s hard to believe that it was nearly 15 years ago when Ben Stiller’s comedy “Zoolander,” delving into the world of less-than-intelligent male models, first hit theaters. I’m typically not a fan of the dumb comedy genre, at least when the level of stupidity hits Derek Zoolander levels, but I remembered enjoying the film, even if I couldn’t actually remember much else about it.

So on the eve of the sequel’s unlikely arrival in theaters, I rewatched the original and found myself laughing at the same jokes as last time, whether it was the tragic gasoline fight, Derek and rival Hansel’s (Owen Wilson) walk-off or the frequent cameos and surprisingly biting satire of the fashion industry.

Reacquainting myself with the character left me actually looking forward to “Zoolander 2,” which like the original is directed by Stiller. The sequel, unfortunately, isn’t a very good movie, with the story and characters flying around spouting jokes rapid-fire in the hope that enough of them hit so the audience won’t realize just how sloppy the script is at times. Fortunately for the movie, and the audience, the jokes actually do hit more often than not, and while it seems like I might be in the minority with this opinion, I really enjoyed watching “Zoolander 2,” even when the insanity reaches, well, insane proportions.

The first film, despite the mountains of stupid–albeit funny–comedy, had some really good and actually smart satire of the fashion and modeling industries mixed into the affair. And despite the kooky antics, like Derek stopping a throwing star with just a look, it was more or less grounded.

Here, there is no anchor whatsoever and the clever satire of the original is lost. Case in point, we meet a former swimsuit model, who we learn are actually like mermaids, or at least dolphins. A lot of sequels go for the “bigger and louder” approach, but here, Stiller, who co-wrote the screenplay, seems to have gone for the crazier and more outlandish route.

Despite the many problems, I still laughed quite a lot during the course of the film’s 102-minute runtime. I just don’t feel very good about it. Still, fans of the original “Zoolander” will probably find enough humor to make a trip back to the world of male models worth the

investment.

The film is rated PG-13 for crude and sexual content, a scene of exaggerated violence, and brief strong language.

(This is a abbreviated version of the full review available in our printed or e-edition papers.)

 

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