Zoolander 2 (2016) (English Language)

Review

102min

Genre:     Comedy, Action

Director:  Ben Stiller

Cast:       Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, Penélope Cruz…and more

Writers:   Justin Theroux, Ben Stiller, Nicholas Stoller … and more

-Synopsis-

The long awaited sequel to 2001’s comedy hit sees the world’s two greatest male models return from exile after a tragedy to track down Derek Zoolander’s estranged son, while uncovering the mystery surrounding the assassination of the world’s most beautiful pop-stars and the gathering menace behind it all.

Writer/director and star Ben Stiller once again aims his non-threatening satirical wit at the pomposity of the fashion industry, only this time upping the cultural relevance and rather amusingly taking shots at hipsters and the current pervasive pretentious culture of judgement & appropriation that seems to have infected society.

For name recognition and love of the original alone, ‘Zoolander 2’ will attract an expectant audience, and if you’re a fan of the silly comedy and ludicrous characters of the original, there may be something here for you… but not much.

Right from the get-go ‘Zoolander 2’ is handicapped by the same limitations inherent in most sequels of comedy classics, such as 2013’s ‘Anchorman 2’, gone is the crucial and impactful novelty of discovering memorable characters in ridiculous situations delivering iconic dialogue for the 1st time.

So the filmmakers can either take risks or go with what they know has worked before, unfortunately Stiller & co. have predictably gone with the safe option for ‘Zoolander 2’, a rehashed formula with more money thrown at it and as many celebrity cameos as can possibly be stuffed-in or stomached.

The whole gang from the original is back in this ludicrous action/espionage story that feels like a version of the original on very expensive steroids, ‘Zoolander 2’ is essentially a potpourri of gags which ultimately don’t work for the most part… and that’s the biggest issue. Apart from a few memorable moments, it’s just not that funny and you’ll be hard pressed to recall a single line or killer gag as soon as you leave the cinema.

There are many $$$Reasons$$$ to make a sequel of a modern comedy classic, but for the sake of the audience at least, perhaps Hollywood should steer away from the “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it” adage, towards the “if it ain’t broke just leave it alone” one.

The Bottom Line…

Proving the theory that sequels of comedy classics can never have the same impact, ‘Zoolander 2’ is a fuel-injected recycled version of the original which fails to live up to expectations or leave a lasting impression, a collection of gags that rarely hit the spot within a haphazard narrative that drowns in a sea of famous faces and advertising campaigns.

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Similar films you may like (Home Video)

Zoolander (2001)

Threatened by the industry’s hottest new star, the world’s greatest supermodel must unite with his greatest rival and a hostile journalist to prevent an evil mogul from brainwashing him into a political assassination in this ludicrous modern comedy classic from director and star Ben Stiller.

Directed by Ben Stiller and starring Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson and Will Ferrell among others.

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