Review: Zoolander 2 (2016)

Director: Ben Stiller | 102 minutes | comedy | Actors: Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, Will Ferrell, Penélope Cruz, Kristen Wiig, Justin Bieber, Jon Daly, Katie Couric, Amy Stiller, Charlotte Townsend, Christine Taylor, Jim Lehrer, Christiane Amanpour, Jane Pauley, Justin Theroux, Milla Jovovich, Jerry Stiller, Joe Scarborough, Mitch Winston, Natalie Morales, Soledad O’Brien, Billy Zane, Kiefer Sutherland, Susan Boyle, Fred Armisen, Benedict Cumberbatch, Joe Jonas, Olivia Munn, Skrillex, Naomi Campbell, Christina Hendricks, Ariana Grande, Willie Nelson, Katy Perry, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Sting, Alexander Skarsgård, MC Hammer, John Malkovich, Anna Wintour, Marc Jacobs, Tommy Hilfiger, Kate Moss, Valentino Garavani, Mika

In 2001 the world was introduced to Derek Zoolander, a male model known for the “Blue Steel”, his specially designed look for the camera and his stupid sayings. Zoolander was created and played by Ben Stiller, who introduced the character for a sketch for the VH1 Fashion Awards five years earlier. In the movie ‘Zoolander’, Stiller perfected the character who pokes fun at the fashion industry and fame in an adventure so ridiculous, you have to see it to believe it (and chances are you’ve seen it, the movie certainly became a cult success for the home market). Fifteen years later – in real life, as well as on the silver screen, Zoolander – who was in hiding for some time under the name Eric Toolander – is back in “Zoolander 2”.

A lot has happened since 2001. The Internet really took off, and we hadn’t heard of social media in 2001. But Derek’s life also turned upside down. After his wife Matilda (Christine Taylor, seen here only as a ghost) died in the collapse of the Center for Kids Who Can’t Read Good, his son is taken from him and lives a lonely life in the snowy mountains of “Extreme Northern New Jersey”. His colleague Hansel suffered a terrible mutilation in this disaster, so that his days as a top male model are also over. He spends his days in an African desert along with his “orgy”. Still, both Derek and Hansel are asked to return to the fashion world. Celebrities are being murdered all the time. This is how Madonna came to an end and Demi Lovato, Miley Cyrus, Lenny Kravitz, Usher and Bruce Springsteen will not make it to 2017 either. Valentina (Penelope Cruz), an Interpol agent and Zoolander fan from the beginning, needs them to find out who killed all those celebrities. They have one thing in common: they die with the Blue Steel look immortalized on their faces.

“Zoolander 2” has an equally ridiculous plot as the first part. That was the strength of part 1, but here it is mainly the weakness of the film. For a film that doesn’t take itself so seriously, too few jokes have succeeded and the clever finds that make you smile are repeated endlessly. For the level of humor, think of films like “Dumb and Dumber” or “The Pink Panther”. But admittedly: if they hit target, it is also enjoyable. For example, the opening scene can go straight into history books. Unfortunately, there is not enough between the jokes to hold the viewer’s attention. Spotting cameos makes you almost exhausted, there are so many. Not every celebrity has a memorable role, but fans of Benedict Cumberbatch, Kiefer Sutherland and Sting will have a blast. “Zoolander 2” is such a quintessential sequel that will make anyone who claims to hate sequels laugh at it because they are proven right again. Bigger, more expensive, but not close to the original.[imdb]tt1608290[/imdb]