ZOOLANDER A film review by David N. Butterworth Copyright 2001 David N. Butterworth
*1/2 (out of ****)
Having a poke at the fashion industry (and, more specifically, its preening portfolio of male models) doesn't exactly take a degree in rocket science but Ben Stiller takes a stab at it anyway in "Zoolander," his latest turn behind the camera. It's obvious from the turgid Bond-ian opening that something is amiss, and you quickly wonder just how long Stiller, the put-upon star of "Meet the Parents" and the occasional director of such films as "Reality Bites" and "The Cable Guy," can drag this catwalk spectacle out.
Not long it seems.
Derek Zoolander (Stiller) is the toast of the fashion world and, as the film opens, is up for Male Model of the Year for an unprecedented fourth time (he's won three years in a row). Apart from being terribly good-looking (his words not theirs), Derek has perfected The Look. He calls one of its several manifestations Blue Steel, an edgy glance to camera, eyebrows tight, lips pursed in a half-kiss, half-smile. It's a look that can be seen all over town--on billboards, on magazine covers, everywhere. Le Tigre is another one (it's exactly the same look). He's working on a new one--Magnum--but after nine years it's still not perfected.
The only threat to Derek's throne is a blue-eyed blond supermodel named Hansel. Played by Owen Wilson (from "Shanghai Noon"; he also played opposite Stiller in "Meet the Parents"), Hansel is every bit as handsome--and intellectually impaired--as his rival. These two pretty dimwits go at in on the runway and just about every fashion world cliché gets trampled on in the process. There's also a plot to kill the prime minister of Malaysia!
Stiller must be a popular guy in Hollywood these days because his film is populated with a veritable Who's Who of television and movie talent. Many of these, like David Duchovny, David Bowie, and Winona Ryder, show up for brief scenes and disappear soon after and some (like Gary Shandling and Vince Vaughn) don't even get a speaking part. But they clearly wanted to be in Ben's picture. I can understand that: Stiller's a terrifically funny guy (and I mean that most sincerely: he's the *only* reason to ever rent "Mystery Men"!).
So how come "Zoolander" misses the mark? Perhaps its subject matter is simply too obvious and the jokes simply not funny enough. If you're going to take such an easy target you have to do something special with it but Stiller, who co-wrote the movie with Drake Sather and John Hamburg based on a VH-1/Vogue Fashion Awards character from five years ago, never really moves the humor a notch above silly. There are certainly chuckles to be found here--it's hard watching anyone, let alone Stiller, who seems to have a natural and uncanny aptitude for physical comedy, posing and posturing and prancing around in silly outfits to Frankie Goes to Hollywood without cracking a smile--but "Zoolander" never pushes the envelope, never touches on inspired. It's frivolous and not much more.
Co-starring Will Ferrell as a poodle-coiffed designer named Mugatu, Milla Jovovich as his butch henchwoman, Christine Taylor (still a dead ringer for "The Brady Bunch"'s Marcia) as the love interest and, oh, Ben's Dad Jerry, "Zoolander" is another one of those "Saturday Night Live"-styled sketches dragged out in perpetuity. The most disappointing thing about Stiller's film, however, is that all it appears to be saying is that male models don't seem to have a lot between the ears. There. I just saved you eight bucks.
-- David N. Butterworth dnb@dca.net
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