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| Genre: | Comedy |
| Year: | 2001 |
| Rating: | PG13 |
| Length: | 1h 29mins |
| Cast: | Ben Stiller, Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, Will Ferrell |
A movie that began life as a skit for the 1996 VH1 Fashion Awards, Zoolander survived expansion to the big screen with its belly laughs intact. Writer-director Ben Stiller portrays Derek Zoolander, a male supermodel eclipsed by hot newcomer Hansel (Owen Wilson), whose stoner chic makes Zoolander look like last season's leftover. A titanic battle of the egos ensues as these two world-class airheads jockey for runway supremacy. Of course, the fact that neither star looks like a male model makes the whole thing that much funnier. About as subtle as a Bob Mackie sequined evening gown, Zoolander is an over-the-top spoof of the fashion world peppered with moments of deliciously dead-on satire. It boasts some truly hilarious set pieces and throwaway bits -- watch for the carefree romp at a filling station that ends in "tragedy." The cast includes Stiller's entire family: his wife, Christine Taylor, portrays a spunky girl reporter who uncovers a nefarious plot involving a megalomaniac fashion designer, and his dad, Jerry, appears as a sleazy agent. Stiller's mom, Anne Meara, shows up in a cameo, as do numerous celebrities and fashionistas. Amid the scattershot proceedings, Wilson's idiosyncratic charms allow him rise well above the fray -- whether he's posing in a tiara or engaging in a tense runway "walk-off" with his archrival. Yes, Zoolander is a one-joke movie, but when the joke is this funny, who cares? Kryssa Schemmerling
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