Zoolander [M]

With the new Malaysian Prime Minister working on abolishing child slave labour, the fashion industry is under threat. Without the slaves to manufacture their goods, the fashion moguls will go bankrupt within a year. They need to hire an assassin to quickly rid them of the Malaysian Prime Minister, and they find it in the self-absorbed and brainless male model Derek Zoolander. But with fashion week upon them, and a journalist relentlessly sniffing around for a scoop, can the dirty deed get done it time? 

This has to be one of the funniest, cleverest, and most brilliantly satiric comedies ever made! With an original story, brilliant characters, and a knock-out script, Zoolander is one of those movies that you can always come back to. And it just keeps getting funnier! Seriously, I must have seen this film fifty times before, I mean I can almost recite the script word for word, and it still gets me laughing every time. 

The powerful, corrupt, and heartless fashion moguls of the world a put under threat when the new Malaysian Prime Minister begins gaining support on his plan to abolish child slavery. With many of the popular items of clothing being manufactured in sweatshops along the Malaysian borders, if slavery is abolished, then the fashion heads will go bankrupt within a year. In a state of desperation, the world’s fashion moguls call upon American designer Mugatu to get rid of the Prime Minister. Mugatu needs to find an empty-headed vessel of a human being to pull off a hasty assassination, and he finds it in famous male model Derek Zoolander. With his career winding down and a recent article in Time Magazine causing Derek to become a laughing stock of the fashion world, Mugatu hires Derek to fashion his new range and then brainwashes him to kill the Prime Minister on the night of the fashion show. But with a journalist relentlessly sniffing around for a scoop, Mugatu’s plan is going to prove harder to pull off them some of his fashions. 

This was clever writing all the way. The story was an original idea from Ben Stiller, who also directed, produced, and wrote the screenplay, and the script is a goldmine of killer punch lines and visual jokes. I have to draw attention to my favourite scene at this point: 

Derek and Hansel are charged with the task of going into Derek’s agent’s computer and recovering some files that will save Derek and put Mugatu in prison. But neither Derek nor Hansel has ever used a computer before, and the scene focuses on them trying to turn on the computer. They’re pressing buttons and hitting the computer, and the scene turns into the monkey scene from 2001 a Space Odyssey, they even play Also Sprach Zarathustra in the background as the two men are shrieking and jumping around. 

It’s hugely entertaining, gets me every time. And some of the lines that come out of this flick are simply priceless! Unfortunately I can’t quote them in writing because it’s the way the actors deliver them that makes them so deadly. 

Ben Stiller stars as Derek Zoolander: 3% body fat, 1% brain activity. I think this is the greatest thing Ben’s ever done! He was naïve, dim, adorable, and outrageously brave to wear some of the costumes he had to model. Whether he’s wearing a cape made of garbage or a one-piece set of pyjamas covered in penguins, he pulls off every scene with style, flare, and an egocentric view of himself. He’s an absolute delight from start to finish. 

Competing with Ben for the spotlight is Owen Wilson who plays Hansel. With his beautiful locks, broken nose, and scooter, he really makes his presence known. As Mugatu says “Hansel, he’s so hot right now.” 

Will Ferrell is Mugatu, absolutely brilliant! Will really doesn’t mind getting his hands dirty or being hated. In Zoolander, he’s constantly screaming, inflicting pain on other people, and plotting dastardly crimes. He’s a truly eccentric actor, that’s why we all love him. 

As if Ben, Owen, and Will aren’t enough, the film also stars Christine Taylor, Jerry Stiller, Jon Voight, David Duchovny, and Milla Jovovich, as well as numerous cameos from Billy Zane, Lenny Kravitz, Fabio, David Bowie, Paris Hilton, Natalie Portman, Cuba Gooding Jr., Victoria Beckham, Winona Ryder, Christian Slater, Donald Trump, Vince Vaughn, Claudia Schiffer, Stephen Dorff, and Tommy Hilfiger. 

Filled with memorable characters, hilarious jokes, dastardly plots, romance, and the greatest head-to-head battle you’ve ever seen, Zoolander has “comedy classic” written all over it. A must-have in any film collection!