Zoolander 2 (Cinema Review)

Starring: Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, Penélope Cruz, Will Ferrell
Directed By: Ben Stiller
Running Time: 102 Minutes
UK Release Date: 12th February 2016
Certificate: 12A

Derek Zoolander returns after a 15-year absence and is thankfully none the wiser. This belated sequel hits the ground running with the assassination of a well known pop star and a great Instagram gag, and initially has the feel of a spy thriller.

A news montage through the credits fills you in on the last 15 years since a tragedy at the ‘Derek Zoolander school for kids who can’t read good and want to do other stuff good too’. Model Hansel (Wilson) is seemingly disfigured and living in the desert with his group of lovers, and Derek (Stiller) has since lost his son to child services and is living as a hermit somewhere snowy. They both receive an invitation from fashion guru Alexanya Atoz (Kristen Wiig) to attend a fashion show in Rome, and end up working with agent Valentina (Penelope Cruz, who is clearly having fun in this film) from Interpol’s fashion division to solve the mystery behind the deaths of several famous pop stars. As you would expect it is all part of a bigger, yet muddled plan.

The first Zoolander (2001) gained a cult following on DVD and on my first viewing it just didn’t live up to the hype. On additional viewings I found it to be a hilarious and quotable comedy, which was a brilliant satire on the fashion industry. With its sequel I chuckled along to many of its silly and outrageous moments, but unfortunately I didn’t find it all that funny and don’t think it will improve on repeat viewings.

Many comedy sequels have this ‘difficult second album’ problem as most of them just retread the same ground; reusing the same jokes and iconic moments, which mainly end up parodying themselves. These sequels unfortunately don’t add much new or push the boundaries of their characters, which is something that most sitcoms manage to do well.

In my opinion Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999) improved on its predecessor by introducing new characters and situations and kept the joke rate high while maintaining the feel of the original and the respect of its audience. Whereas, Anchorman 2 (2013) tried to do the same but just wasn’t as funny as the original. Granted, filmmakers have to give the audience more of what they loved about the originals, but sometimes the story doesn’t need to be continued – unless there is a story to be told and most importantly that the script works.

A lot has happened in the last 15 years and this film paints the two leads as old, lame has-beens, who are out of touch with the modern fashion world, and the world in general. One ‘meta’ character called Don Atari speaks about how they are lame and stuck in the past, which is cool in his eyes, but he reminds me of the retro hipsters I see around London. Unfortunately the sense of satire which made its predecessor great has gone and we are presented with a strange and generally humourless look at the world of fashion.

One element which improves as the film moves along is the dynamic between the idiot Derek Zoolander Sr and his estranged but cleverer son Derek Zoolander Jr. (Cyrus Arnold) who gets a few laughs.

But one stand-out is Kristen Wiig’s fashion guru Alexanya Atoz, a completely indulgent and over the top character obviously based on Donatella Versace, complete with bad skin and seemingly uncontrollable facial tremors. As you expect in films like this, various other Saturday Night Live alumni appear (including an incredibly creepy Fred Armisen as an 11 year old), but the film kicks up a gear with the welcome return of the first films villain Mugatu, played by the love-him-or-hate-him Will Ferrell.

Mixed in with the cast you have too many celebrity cameos to count, some of which are surprisingly funny but most act as background fodder. However a stand out is the brief and controversial appearance of Benedict Cumberbatch as transgender model named All.

The surprise cameos of the first film were great little touches but it goes overboard in this sequel. The late David Bowie’s appearance for the originals ‘walk off’ scene was a stroke of genius, but the big celebrity cameo in this film doesn’t even come close.

Although I was excited to hear that this long gestating sequel was officially green lit, the end result is a film that is muddled and not the film it deserves to be. There are many silly moments which I giggled along to and the whole world presented is ridiculous, but there aren’t that many genuine laughs in the film and nothing too memorable or quotable.

It could either be down to the four scriptwriters or Ben Stiller’s direction, but this film has trouble finding its feet and when it finally gains momentum, it ends. Like Anchorman 2 (2013) this is a sequel that deserves to be better, funnier and worthy to stand alongside what came before.

Overall Verdict: An enjoyable return to world and characters of its predecessor, which is as silly and flamboyant as you remember, just not as fun. Add another point if you are a diehard fan, but this may be best watched at home.

Reviewer: George Elcombe