Created for VH1 a while back, the Zoolander character was a satirical look at the fashion industry and played by Ben Stiller. Now, based on the skit, we have a full-length feature film that once again is able to showcase Stiller's comedic brilliance, but at the same time, has all the downsides of the all-too-unpopular SNL skits-turned-feature length movies. As in the skit, Ben Stiller stars as Zoolander, a male model with just one pose that knocks them dead everytime - "blue steel." The comedy is top-notch, but is unable to continue throughout the whole movie at a sustained pace as the movie ultimately falters, but ends strong.

Riding high on three straight male-model of the year awards, Zoolander's only competition for his 4th award is Hansel (Owen Wilson), an equally dumb, new face on the modelling scene. After Hansel is announced as the winner, Zoolander walks up thinking it's a forgone conclusion that he won. Realizing the truth, Zoolander retires from modelling and sets out to find the real meaning of life. Happening at the same time, a new president has arisen in Malaysia, promising an end to child labor. The powers that be tell their lackey, Mugatu (Will Ferrell) that he needs to find a way to assisnate the president so that child labor can once again return to the country, enabling high profit margins for all the clothing designers. Mugatu decides Zoolander is the perfect person for this operation as he can be easily brainwashed and can assasinate the president at the premier of his new clothing line, "Derilicte."

The basic plot is amusing as we follow Zoolander after his fall from popularity as he returns home to find some meaning to his life. But upon returning home, he is summarily rejected and sent back to his life in the city. From here, Zoolander bounces back and forth between Mugatu, Hansel, and Matilda (Christine Taylor) - a reporter who wrote an unflattering article on Zoolander, who has now uncovered the plan to assasinate the president and she now wants to use Zoolander to prevent it. From here it becomes a complicated movie as it is reduced to standard SNL-fare as we are subjected to outlandish gags and situations that were only inserted for a laugh. Rather than being a satire as it had originally set out to be, Zoolander degenerates into a hodge-podge of situations, most of which are unfunny, as Zoolander simultaneously searches for the meaning of life, gets groomed to become an assassin and struggles with his new found love for Matilda. It's a bit over done and becomes a bit too much to handle.

While the film does have its faults, there are quite a few scenes which are downright hilarious and worth the price of admission. The gas station scene along with the walk-off were both truly brilliant and they make this movie worth the price of a matinee admission alone. Zoolander starts off with a good premise and with funny satirical material, but eventually degenerates to a mixture of funny and unfunny skit-like situations. Zoolander had potential and with great performances by both Stiller and Wilson, could have gone far, but unfortunately, it fizzles in the middle, with a far-from-fulfilling ending.

Genres: Comedy
Rated: PG-13 - For sexual content and drug references.
Runtime: 90 minutes
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