Zoolander 2

Starring: Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, Penelope Cruz, Will Ferrell, Justin Theroux, Christine Taylor, Milla Jovovich, Jerry Stiller, Billy Zane, Kristen Wiig, Kiefer Sutherland, Fred Armisten, Benedict Cumberbatch, Olivia Munn, Christina Hendricks, Justin Bieber, Katy Perry, Sting, Alexander Sarsgaard, John Malkovich, Kyle Mooney
Directed by: Ben Stiller
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Comedy
2016

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Derek Zoolander (Ben Stiller) is reluctantly pulled out of his self-imposed exile to help stop a global conspiracy rooted in the fashion industry.

Review:

Tim: Fifteen years after the overrated Zoolander, we get a sequel that I don't believe anyone asked for nor wanted. There might have been a time when this movie would have generated some excitement, but that day is long past. This felt like a pointless sequel and the fact that it's even worse than the original furthers the believe that the movie should never have been made.

The film opens with a scene involving Justin Bieber, which kind of sets the tone for the whole movie right from there. There's so little to like here. The movie is as dumb as the first one, but whatever joy might have been present in the idiocy of the first movie, it's missing here. The whole movie just seems like a massive waste of time. The story is beyond stupid and makes no sense at all. It's riddled with plot holes and asks the audience to suspend nearly every ounce of disbelief they have. I was never invested in the story or the characters at all. I simply do not understand what writers Ben Stiller and Justin Theroux were thinking. The plot is paper thin and just does not hold up. It felt like they were banking on people showing up to see these characters again, story be damned.

The film features an impressive cast, but it seems significantly less impressive as you watch the film. It's always fun to see Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson share the screen together, but they are surrounded by such a weak, head-shaking story that it was hard to enjoy them at all. Penelope Cruz was fine, but seems silly because of the plot and dialogue. Will Ferrell was slightly less annoying this time around, but I still don't love this role. Kiefer Sutherland was a nice addition, but in a totally pointless role. Benedict Cumberbatch came across as a total waste. I have no idea why he agreed to do such an unfunny, worthless role. Olivia Munn continues to be the worst actress ever. Kristen Wiig didn't even get close to making me laugh. Honestly, I could go on, but there's very few standouts in the cast.

In fact, the only cast member who truly impressed me was Kyle Mooney. His opening scene was hilarious. The dialogue made me laugh, his delivery was pitch perfect. It was by far my favorite scene of the film. I have no idea why that one scene stood out while the rest of the movie was so moronic. Honestly, I watched that scene multiple times. It was incredible. In the midst of this barren wasteland of humor and quality, his short scene was excellent. It was fun to watch, but it reminded me of the terribleness of the rest of the movie.

There's so many things wrong with Zoolander 2. The movie came out years and years past the expiration date. It felt like everyone showed up to go through the motions, not to do something special. The script was terrible and Ben Stiller's direction left a great deal to be desired. The movie isn't long, but at 1 hour 42 minutes, it felt too long. This is just a bad movie, any way you slice it.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Zoolander