Really, Really, Ridiculously Disappointing
The original Zoolander is an inspired early 21st century comedy. It is completely silly, but biting in its satire of pop culture. It also featured memorable characters and enough signature one liners to make a modern stand up comedian shut up and rethink his routine. I watched it just before I went to see its sequel to see if it held up and it absolutely does. Some of its references may be lost on those who were not apart of the pop culture scene in 2001, but a surprising amount of its humor still hits the mark. It may have a silly plot idea, but it is merely a backdrop to the shenanigans these characters create themselves. There was a goofy sentimentality to Derek Zoolander And Hansel (who is so hot right now). Despite their arrogance and daftness, they were likable and well drawn, not to mention played with inspired fervor by Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson in their prime.
Nearly 15 years later, we now have the long gestating Zoolander 2. Everyone is back and ready to unleash these beloved characters into a selfie and Facebook dominated world. If anyone was ready to have an amazing time, it was me. Sadly, this is a far cry from its rebellious predecessor. Zoolander 2 is a middling affair with only a few minor laughs to offer. It is a huge disappointment, especially to fans of the original.
The movie starts by catching us up on what happened immediately after the conclusion of the original film. Without getting too far into it, a tragedy strikes Derek and Hansel and they leave the fashion world and go into self imposed exiles on their own. Zoolander's son is even taken away by child services. Now in 2016, Zoolander is offered an opportunity to perform in a new show and he sees it as an opportunity to show everyone that he is fit to raise his child and get him back. So with Hansel in tow, he attempts his big return to the fashion scene only to stumble on a conspiracy involving the murders of famous sexy people who are found wearing his signature look.
I am surprised I was able to describe the plot as well as I did here. This is a crazy movie. It is weird and out there, which is to be admired. The problem here is that it relies too much on a weird plot for its humor. It is putting its stakes in circumstance based humor instead of the character driven humor that guided the original film. If I were to say that the film eventually becomes a quasi-religious DaVinci Code style thriller, would you believe me? Where the plot goes is absolutely absurd and the film thinks that's all it needs to be funny. It is one thing to have funny ideas. It is a whole other thing to have humor to back those ideas up. Having a random scenario is not enough. You need to rely on your characters to create good jokes. Unfortunately, this never happens.
There are no bad performances here, but the script feels maddeningly flat and uninspired so the actors almost feel bored to be back. Big names like Kristen Wiig and Benedict Cumberbatch are compeltely wasted. They hardly have any screen time and are not given much to do with their outlandish characters.The plot becomes to convoluted and cluttered so no one is given time to create good humor or chemistry with each other. There are definitely a few moments that are amusing enough. There is a subplot involving Hansel's orgy group from the original film, now led by a surprising celebrity cameo in a shockingly deadpan and straight performance, that is particularly funny. These moments are fleeting however. They get bogged down by endless celebrity cameos and plot convolution and that is disappointing.
I cannot say that I hated my experience. It was still great to see this characters again and there are some moments that do really work. It is not Phantom Menace levels of fan betrayal. It is decidedly dull and ultimately a forgettable experience however. I would wait to rent this for home viewing, unless you absolutely must see it for yourself. I doubt we will get a Zoolander 3.
Grade: C-.
The movie starts by catching us up on what happened immediately after the conclusion of the original film. Without getting too far into it, a tragedy strikes Derek and Hansel and they leave the fashion world and go into self imposed exiles on their own. Zoolander's son is even taken away by child services. Now in 2016, Zoolander is offered an opportunity to perform in a new show and he sees it as an opportunity to show everyone that he is fit to raise his child and get him back. So with Hansel in tow, he attempts his big return to the fashion scene only to stumble on a conspiracy involving the murders of famous sexy people who are found wearing his signature look.
I am surprised I was able to describe the plot as well as I did here. This is a crazy movie. It is weird and out there, which is to be admired. The problem here is that it relies too much on a weird plot for its humor. It is putting its stakes in circumstance based humor instead of the character driven humor that guided the original film. If I were to say that the film eventually becomes a quasi-religious DaVinci Code style thriller, would you believe me? Where the plot goes is absolutely absurd and the film thinks that's all it needs to be funny. It is one thing to have funny ideas. It is a whole other thing to have humor to back those ideas up. Having a random scenario is not enough. You need to rely on your characters to create good jokes. Unfortunately, this never happens.
There are no bad performances here, but the script feels maddeningly flat and uninspired so the actors almost feel bored to be back. Big names like Kristen Wiig and Benedict Cumberbatch are compeltely wasted. They hardly have any screen time and are not given much to do with their outlandish characters.The plot becomes to convoluted and cluttered so no one is given time to create good humor or chemistry with each other. There are definitely a few moments that are amusing enough. There is a subplot involving Hansel's orgy group from the original film, now led by a surprising celebrity cameo in a shockingly deadpan and straight performance, that is particularly funny. These moments are fleeting however. They get bogged down by endless celebrity cameos and plot convolution and that is disappointing.
I cannot say that I hated my experience. It was still great to see this characters again and there are some moments that do really work. It is not Phantom Menace levels of fan betrayal. It is decidedly dull and ultimately a forgettable experience however. I would wait to rent this for home viewing, unless you absolutely must see it for yourself. I doubt we will get a Zoolander 3.
Grade: C-.
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