Rating: Summary: You can dera-lick... Review: Although it didn't get much play at the theater, Zoolander has become one of the top cult classics in just a few short years. The reason is simple - Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson. These two together have never missed and Zoolander is no exception. Both have managed to create very deep and memorable characters that you will be quoting for years. This is one of those movies that's just full of lines from beginning to end. I highly recommend this film to anyone - yeah, it's a little stupid, but that's the point of it. Even Will Ferrell couldn't steal this one. If you buy it, it's one of those you'll throw in every few weeks to get a fresh dose of Hansel, Derek and Mugatu.
Rating: Summary: Sit down with an Orange Mocha Frappucino and enjoy this Review: This movie is a classic. It's a very zany comedy, don't expect it to get serious for even one second. Besides the hilariously funny scenes such as the gasoline fight, the model "walkoff", the brainwashing scene, and the orgy, there are a lot of more subtle jokes that you can miss if you're not paying attention. This is definitely a movie you need to watch at least twice in order to catch everything. Every scene with Will Ferrell and his look-alike poodle is great.
Rating: Summary: chiseled abs Review: really funny comedy about a male model who after he lost an award show award to Hansel(Owen Wilson) and after seeing his friends die in a freak gasoline fire accident, goes home to try to find his roots but then comes back and gets brainwashed so he can kill the prime minister of Malaysia by Mugatu(Will Ferrell with a puppy). Zoolander(Ben Stiller) is helped by the lovely Christine Taylor(who is real life is his real wife) and Hansel to try to stop Mugatu and his plan and help kids how to read good. funny dialouge and hilarious performances make this wild. Jon Voight as Zoolanders dad is awesome and theres a lot of celeb cameos as well.
Rating: Summary: Zany Review: This movie, starring Ben Stiller and Luke Wilson, is a parody of the fashion industry. In fact, quite a few fashion personalities appear in this movie. I was particularly surprised to see an appearance by David Bowie. This movie basically has just one joke: fashion models are ignorant and self-absorbed. The first few times you see it, it's really funny, but after a while it gets old, and you wish there was a little more variety in the jokes. Ben Stiller does a good job as the wacky model, Derek Zoolander. However, I found Luke Wilson's performance a little too irritating. He just whines and whines with his nasal voice. If you're interested in fashion, you'll probably like this movie. If you're not, you may not be able to get all the jokes. Of course if you're a fan of Ben Stiller, you should check it out, but if you're not, then you could probably pass on this one.
Rating: Summary: The World of Male Modeling Review: Derek Zoolander is a male model whose career is starting to decline. He disgraces himself at a male model awards show and experiences an emotional crisis. As we all know, the male model industry has been responsible for all major political assassinations in modern history (OK I do teach History and Political Science, but I also have a sense of humor), so it's only a matter of time before Zoolander, a male model on the downward spiral, is brainwashed to join the rank of world-historic model assassins. His mission: to assassinate the prime minister of Malaysia. To control Derek, the fashion industry brainwashes him, making him a perfect assassin. This is like Manchurian candidate meeting Stiller's wacky talent. This is a funny movie with a great cast of characters and celebrities. I loved it! The movie is quite funny and really fast paced. And here is something to ponder: how many male models does it take to find a computer file? Stiller and Owen were really trying to dismantle and iMac in this one. If you have not seen this film you are missing out--it's very entertaining indeed.
Rating: Summary: haven't laughed so hard in ages Review: easily the best comedy since tommy boy. loved it. if you're into 'highbrow' humour don't bother. these one star reviewers just don't get it.
Rating: Summary: Zoolander is the worst in a long time Review: I bought the movie based on Stillers other work - what a joke! That was the worst twenty bucks I have spent in several years. If you rent or buy this movie, make sure you have enough booze to get lit prior to putting it on...
Rating: Summary: 5-star Silliness - Dare to Be Grumpy After This Movie Review: Zoolander a very silly movie, more appropriate for adults, that tries to be nothing but silly. If you are having a bad day, this is a movie to watch. Pair this with Monty Python's Flying Circus' silly little fish-slap dance, Carol Bernett's take on "Gone With the Wind," "Cold Comfort Farm" (among others). Every detail seems to provoke a giggle playing off cliches.
Rating: Summary: Why do people think this movie is funny? Review: I have trouble finding any humor in "Zoolander". It almost annoys me that people actually find this cheezy drivel funny! Although I am a Ben Stiller fan from his work in "Meet the Parents" and "There's Something About Mary," this is by far his LEAST funny comedy. "Zoolander" gets 1 star only because there isn't a 0 star option. I know I sound like I'm ranting but trust me, do yourself a favor and never see this movie.
Rating: Summary: Can a man with no brain save the world? Review: I am a big fan of zany comedies with far-out premises that aren't very realistic (such as the Airplane and the Naked Gun movies). The more oddball the better, as long as it's done right. These comedies are hard to do, however, and very easy to mess up. When I first heard of Zoolander, I thought it was supposed to be a more mainstream comedy, though the premise sounded a bit outlandish. I never really made the time to see it, however. That changed when I caught it on a local movie channel recently, and I was riveted to the screen. Zoolander is a farce about the fashion industry. It is also one of the most hilarious movies I've seen in a long time. Derek Zoolander (Ben Stiller) is the hottest model in the business, having won the VH-1 "Male Model of the Year" award for the last three years. However, this year he's beaten by the up-and-comer Hansel (Owen Wilson). On top of that, Time magazine has branded him an idiot for certain actions Derek did at the awards show (not to mention the fact that he truly is an idiot). Derek decides to retire and return to his family, coal miners in New Jersey. This doesn't work either, though. Meanwhile, the new Prime Minister of Malaysia has promised to raise the minimum wage, ending the fashion industry's source of cheap labour. The secret coalition of fashion designers that has been behind every major world calamity for the last 200 years decides that this can't happen. Whenever they need a patsy, they get a model. So Mugatu, the visible head of this group, decides that he has the perfect idiot, er, man for the job. He calls Derek out of retirement to headline his new "Derelicte" line of clothing, and when the Prime Minister is in attendance at the opening, Derek will kill him. Joined by Matilda Jeffries (Christine Taylor), the reporter that besmirched his name, and his rival model Hansel, Derek must stumble...I mean, Derek must stop this insidious plan before it can come to fruition. In the meantime, he learns that not everything is about good looks (though they certainly are the most important). Stiller does an outstanding job as Derek Zoolander, the model with the trim waistline and the brain to match. I have often thought of Stiller as a funny guy in more conventional comedies, but here he is at his zany best. He plays stupid very well, making the character immensely likeable even as we groan at some of the things he does or says. We really do care about what happens to him. I felt for him when he made his mistake at the Fashion Awards and saw the subsequent issue of Time magazine. He really does have a good heart, even though he doesn't know how to demonstrate it. Owen Wilson is classic as Hansel. I've been a big fan of his since Shanghai Noon, and he doesn't disappoint here. He has the perfect blend of arrogance, talent, and the ability to change his mind when necessary. But like Derek, he's a bit stupid. Wilson pulls it off with flair, and his reconciliation scene with Derek is a wonder of comic timing. You alternately laugh at him, hate him, and then love him, all in the space of one movie. The other major character is Matilda Jeffries. I don't think she worked quite as well as she should, though she doesn't detract very much from the movie. Christine Taylor does a pretty good job with her (far removed from her Marcia Brady days), but she just doesn't quite fit with the rest of the cast. I know she's supposed to be the straight woman, but she's almost too straight for this cast. I didn't find her as funny as the rest of them, even given the straight lines she has. She's not horrible, but she's just "ok." I didn't find the budding romance between Derek and her to be that believable, and I think that's down to her. The villains of the piece are priceless as well. Will Ferrell chews the scenery with gusto as Mugatu (but since this is the type of comedy it is, he's supposed to do that). Milla Jovavich plays the heavy like she was born to play it, and Jerry Stiller basically plays himself as Derek's manager, Maury. It was music to my ears when he started on one of his "Stilleresque" rants at his wife. All of them add the perfect blend to the mix, making the outcome just about perfect. What really makes the movie, though, are the jokes and the cameos. There are a lot of shots taken at the fashion industry, but most of the models appear to realize that it's all in jest, because they make cameos in the movie. Numerous other Hollywood stars make cameos as well, though I won't say where lest they spoil the fun. Some of them fit in perfectly (David Duchovny), some are just there for sight gags (Gary Shandling), but all of them work. There are so many great sequences in this movie that I did not stop laughing for more than a few moments. Even the tragic deaths of Derek's friends come in such a blackly comic fashion that it's hard not to laugh. Hansel and Derek face off in a "walk-off" with the winner taking all. The awards show is wonderful. It's all good. In fact, at a trim 89 minutes, I can honestly say there is not a bit of wasted time in this movie. Every scene either forwards the plot or makes you laugh (and oftentimes both). Is it remotely believable? No, of course not. Is it hilariously funny? You better believe it. If you like zany comedies and don't mind that they're not really based on reality, then give this movie a try. However, I take no responsibility for medical bills incurred when falling off the sofa. David Roy
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