Not just your average male bimbo !. Review on Zoolander Movie

Matilda: So when did you know you wanted to be a model?

Derek Zoolander: It would have to be the first time in the second grade. I caught my reflection in a spoon while I was eating my cereal and I remember thinking,

"Wow, you're ridiculously good-looking. Maybe you could do that for a career"

Matilda: Do what?

Zoolander: Be professionally good looking.

Thus, our introduction to model Derek Zoolander(Ben Stiller), winner of the Male Model of the Year award 3 times in a row and pioneer of such high-fashion looks like Blue Steel, Tiger and the yet-to-be-revealed Magnum. Zoolander who hopes to seal his winning streak with another Male Model of the Year award, something which has never been done 4 times in a row before, suffers a major setback when hot, young, new-mimbo-on-the-block Hansel(Owen Wilson) steals the award out of his unsuspecting hands. This horrible turn of events along with losing 3 of his best friends in a freak accident has Derek start to ponder THE question, the answer to which will teach him the meaning of life, love and(dumb) luck .

Isnt there more to life than being really, really, really good-looking?

Zoolander's quest for this existential nirvana takes him on a search from his decidedly un-fashioney roots in the coal mining towns of New Jersey through the seamier underbelly of the fashion industry(the stuff they dont show you on television) like fashion walk-offs, international intrigue, brain-washing and the horrible fate of male models and which will ultimately involve him in a fashion showdown involving noted fashion designer Mugatu(Will Ferrel) who has a hidden vendetta against the Malayasian prime-minister, a TIME magazine reporter Matilda(Christine Taylor) much convinced of Derek's stupidity but still beguiled by his charm and his arch-nemesis Hansel.

Will all's well end well for our favorite mimbo?

A Model Idiot? . or . A Model, Idiot!

Funny to say, I'm not one of those people who goes ga-ga over Ben Stiller. Sure, he was ok, in the Royal Tennebaums and I liked him in There's Something about Mary but he left me pretty cold with Dodgeball and Meet the Parents Parts One and Deux . I think that's about the sum of Ben Stiller movies I have watched, . But, this movie has finally convinced me of his amazing capacity for comedy. And Zoolander does have some of the funniest moments I've seen in a movie for some time now. Most of the jokes are tongue-in-cheek references to pop culture or all out pokes at the fashion and modelling industry. So, from the beginning when we see Zoolander model his different looks, to Fabio receiving the best actor/model award, to a shot of Owen Wilson in the Victoria Secret angel wings, to the Andy-Warhol-like-paintings of Derek and his model-brotha's, to the favorite pick-me-up of male models(if you cant guess this I'm not about to give the fun away), to hand-modelling, eugooglies, mer-men and fashion walk-offs the laughs just keep coming. A montage with Derek and his model buddies - with a hot car, hot bods and plenty of liquids splashing around - painting the town orange to the tune of Wham's'Wake me up before you go go .' cracks me up every time I watch it.

Of course, ably assisting Stiller are some of the funniest people in the industry. We have the Stiller regular Owen Wilson who has as much fun with his role as he possibly can, playing a doped out, surfer-type male model who while growing up asked questions like'What was bark made out of on a tree?'. Wilson here is second only to Stiller in drawing the laughs and he's just amazing in the role. Will Ferrell is sometimes funny as a manic, tantrum throwing, designer, but I must admit here that I dont much like Ferrell so when I think he's sometimes funny, people might call him hilarious. There's also the delightful Jerry Stiller(who I can only think of as Frank Costanza) plays Derek's manager - sometimes fond, sometimes evil, always with great relish. Christine Taylor(another regular) as Matilda plays the same part she seems to play in most Stiller movies with her charactersistic sweetness and charm. And watch out for tons of celebrity cameos through the movie giving it that almost realistic fashion flair .

The reason I think I enjoy this movie so much is that it never takes itself seriously even towards the end. There is no major character arc that the characters go through, they all pretty much remain what they were. It's meant to be a movie enjoyed at face value and the conviction that Stiller and Wilson bring to their roles is enough to keep you chuckling throughout - especially Stiller who never lets up with the vacuous look or the pouts or some of the wonderfully hilarious poses Wilson is photographed in. And despite the wafer-thin plot, which exists only to set Stiller up in a number of crazy situations there's very few jokes which dont work or grow stale and I think(hope) few people who wont find something funny at some point in the movie.

Earth to MS'ians - Watch this when in the mood for a light-hearted, kooky comedy!

Rating: 3.5 / 5