Fifteen years after directing and starring in “Zoolander,” Ben Stiller is back with “Zoolander 2” alongside familiar faces like Will Ferrell as Mugatu and Owen Wilson as Hansel. Of course he also returns with some familiar faces of his own, like Magnum and Blue Steel.
**Warning: spoilers ahead.**
The movie recaps the now-tragic life of model Derek Zoolander. When the Derek Zoolander Center For Kids Who Can’t Read Good And Wanna Learn To Do Other Stuff Good Too collapses, Derek’s wife Matilda (Christine Taylor) dies and shortly afterward Derek’s son, Derek Zoolander Jr. (Cyrus Arnold) is taken from him on account of his questionable parenting skills. After years in obscurity, Derek and Hansel are in Rome, where Interpol worker Valentina (Penelope Cruz) asks for their help in solving the murders of Justin Bieber and other pop stars. Shortly after Derek reconnects with his son at an orphanage, Derek Jr. is abducted, and Derek, Hansel and Valentina must save him.
“Zoolander 2” has the same sense of goofiness as its predecessor. Like “Zoolander,” the second installment mocks the fashion industry with over-the-top humor and the help of appearances by designers, actors and singers. Celebrities in the film include Billy Zane, Anna Wintour, Neil deGrasse Tyson and Sting.
Derek and Hansel are a ridiculous duo whose absentmindedness never fails to entertain. Both men think their glory days as models are over. Besides Derek’s disgrace, Hansel suffers from a facial disfigurement obtained from the collapse of the Derek Zoolander Center. The so-called disfigurement that Hansel says ruined his career is a tiny scar. When Hansel tests whether Magnum, one of Derek’s signature looks, still has the power to stop a flying object, the experiment ends with Derek being hit repeatedly in the face.
Since the two men left fashion, the industry has seen changes like the rise of All, an androgynous supermodel played by Benedict Cumberbatch, and Alexanya Atoz (Kristen Wiig), a new fashion mogul with a ridiculous accent. Meanwhile, Mugatu is in prison, but not an ordinary prison – one specifically for fashion criminals, like MC Hammer (whose crime was Hammer pants). Derek and Hansel hope they can break back into modeling, and Derek believes that by doing so he can prove his worth as a father.
Although not all of the film’s attempts to be funny succeed, “Zoolander 2” is nothing if not entertaining. Its corniness is its best asset, and it is enjoyable seeing random celebrities throughout the movie in bizarre contexts. Stiller and Wilson’s antics keep “Zoolander 2” fast-paced, while Cruz provides some sophistication.
Derek Jr. is completely unlike his father, and he is intelligent unlike nearly everyone else. When Derek attempts to bond with his far-removed son, the results are awkward and even dangerous, but the father-son subplot is a new avenue that gives the story just enough depth. Packed with satire, “Zoolander 2” makes fun of everyone and everything related to fashion and entertainment. Seeing Stiller and Wilson try to go from not-so-supermodels back to icons makes this movie a hilariously shallow comedy.
