In recent years, Ben Stiller has not been the funny man he once was. Beating a dead horse with franchises which have lost their appeal for some (Meet the Parents, Night at the Museum and Madagascar) while merely rehashing tired jokes, I was skeptical when it was announced he was revisiting the character of Derek Zoolander. Admittedly, the original still garners a lots of laughs from me. Though this is a property that could be disastrous if not handled the right way, to my delight, Zoolander No. 2 may have cracked the code.
Zoolander and Hansel (Owen Wilson) return as over-the-hill male models who have become out-shined by the younger talent in the industry. Thinking they may never be as famous as they once were, the duo find a way to be popular again when they are recruited by the government to go undercover to track down a serial killer who is offing celebrities, all who died with Zoolander’s signature look on their face, Magnum. With the help of Valentina, a secret agent played by Penélope Cruz, Derek and Hansel must find the killer while dealing with their old foe Mugatu (played again hilariously by Will Ferrell).
Usually, these kinds of sequels are a recipe for disaster, only being made to bring in mainstream audiences regardless of the quality. From what the trailer offers, however, this movie looks legitimately funny. Not blatantly overdoing old gags from the original, Stiller and Wilson play the characters with the same fun and ridiculousness without going for the easy laughs. Well, maybe a couple of easy laughs. I’ll forgive them.
Mind you, this could all be matter of skillful cutting by the trailer editor, but for my money I see this movie working, hopefully, not going any further with these characters after this outing. Watch the trailer for Zoolander No. 2 and see if Derek still has that Magnum look.
Be your own critic. I’m just here to help. Stay Fabulous.
Release Date: February 12, 2016
