It’s a happy coincidence that I happened to come across Zoolander right around the time that the news of the sequel started spreading, and I’m hopeful that the coincidence could hand me an extra slice of attention for this review. What’s important for that to work, however, is that I have something new and interesting to say about this film. The problem is that I oddly have very little to say about it. It’s simple, passable, and done correctly.
If I may be honest, I generally don’t go for the brand(s) of humor developed by Ben Stiller, Will Ferrell, and Owen Wilson, which generally involve(s) idiots shouting, or just over-the-top awkwardness. This film, however, seems to play its cards right, and it knows how to make a “correct” film. Its jokes are based on the interactions of its strong characters, with very appropriate cameos, and its moron protagonists are innocent enough to be likable. The biggest laugh for me is the nod to 2001, which is strangely perfect. The overall plot is clever, the visuals are appealing, and the soundtrack is a delight. While I may have my little gripes about a couple of things I’d have done differently, I can’t dis a film that makes the smart choices and strives to be “technically correct,” even if it has a deliberately incorrect comedy style.
I must wonder, however, if it could have been better had it worked out a clever way to be successfully incorrect. Perhaps this is what’s required for a good movie to be more than just a good movie.
