Critic Reviews
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Wally Hammond, Time Out
A fashion spoof draped over the bones of a puerile conspiracy adventure, this vanity comedy fails at every level barring its incidental details.
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Emanuel Levy, Variety
This light silly and fluffy satire of the fashion industry targets for a change not the female but male models.
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, Atlanta Journal-Constitution
If you're aware of -- and amused by -- pop culture, you'll laugh a lot.
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Peter Rainer, New York Magazine
Doesn't Stiller realize that the fashion world is already its own parody?
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Stephanie Zacharek, Salon.com
Serves as glossy, throwaway fun, and it features more cameos than you can shake a mascara wand at.
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Kirk Honeycutt, Hollywood Reporter
During its fleeting moments onscreen, the movie's lighthearted spirit and comic energy make for entertaining, escapist fare.
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Heather Boerner, Common Sense Media
A surprisingly entertaining movie, but edgy.
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Nick Rogers, Suite101.com
Ben Stiller often forgoes go-for-broke comedy for the sake of getting rich. Not so in "Zoolander," which is not only Cuba Gooding Jr. and Billy Zane's best work of the last decade, but what remains Stiller's flat-out funniest film - down to the DVD menu.
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, Film4
It's patchy, but when it hits, Zoolander is as funny as any Frat Pack picture.
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, Empire Magazine
At times Zoolander threatens to disappear up its own catwalk, but it's often very funny stuff.
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Betsy Bozdech, Reel.com
It's no Meet the Parents, but if you like Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson's brand of offbeat humor, Zoolander should be right up your fashion runway.
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Chris Gore, Film Threat
A success -- if you like dumb fun.
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Jeffrey Overstreet, Looking Closer
Stiller ... is able to demonstrate contempt for the folly of the Industry of Image even as he shows affection for the people that are in it.
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Scott Nash, Three Movie Buffs
Some funny moments, but misses a chance to really skewer its subject.
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Michael Szymanski, Zap2it.com
I have two words for "Zoolander": Stoo Pid!
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Brian Mckay, eFilmCritic.com
Where did the wit go? Where did the cleverness behind the laughter go? Gaylord Focker, help us! Mr. Furious, SAVE US!
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John R. McEwen, Film Quips Online
The film is dumb and generally unfunny, but it has its moments.
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Matthew Turner, ViewLondon
It's undeniably stupid, admittedly, but also a lot of fun. Recommended.
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Margaret A. McGurk, Cincinnati Enquirer
It is a treat to laugh out loud at the movie's deceptively simple-minded goofiness.
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Kevin N. Laforest, Montreal Film Journal
Less than halfway though I was checking my watch in boredom and wondering how if there was much more to go.
Read all 20 critic reviews
Featured Audience Ratings
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if you work in an office some movies are mandatory to survive trips to the watercooler. I see this as an investment in my future.
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Zoolander is a well executed, extremely stupid and very funny satire film. It pokes fun at the fashion industry bringing a lot of memorable moments of humour and wit unlike most Ben Stiller comedies. A better cast could not have been picked.
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I never want to be a male model. Derek Zoolander (Ben Stiller) is a famous male model, but when he is snabbed of his glory by anoher male model named Hansel (Owen Wilson), he must learn who he is and what he wants in life. But without Derek knowing it, he is pulled into a… More
I never want to be a male model. Derek Zoolander (Ben Stiller) is a famous male model, but when he is snabbed of his glory by anoher male model named Hansel (Owen Wilson), he must learn who he is and what he wants in life. But without Derek knowing it, he is pulled into a organization run by a man called Mugatu (Will Ferell) and they plan to make Derek kill the Chancellor of Malaysia. The plot of this film is one of the most ridiculous and random storylines in the history of film, but in a way it makes it better because I think thats what they were going for. Ben Stiller reeks of stupidity in this and every time he talked or made his looks I just cracked up laughing because of how idiotic they did this, and what makes it better is that they probablly had to do these scenes over and over because they were always laughing so hard. The jokes are good, sometimes they were pretty stupid and dumb, but Ben Stiller just made me laugh non stop through this film, he really is the main reason this film works so well. This was a good cmedy, but maybe too stupid for its own good.
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Zoolander gets points for originality and good humor, even if it isn't as aggressively funny as it should be. Everyone does a great job with the acting, but Will Ferrell especially shines through with the funniest performance that I have ever seen from him. Nice, colorful… More
Zoolander gets points for originality and good humor, even if it isn't as aggressively funny as it should be. Everyone does a great job with the acting, but Will Ferrell especially shines through with the funniest performance that I have ever seen from him. Nice, colorful cinematography is also part of what makes this movie stick out.
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I really hate Zoolander. I don't think it's funny at all.
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An effective comedy film directed by Ben Stiller, Zoolander is about a fashion model by the name of Derek Zoolander who is the most famous fashion model in the industry. A very enjoyable film, Zoolander has a great cast of comic actors. Starring alongside Still is his father, Jerry,… More
An effective comedy film directed by Ben Stiller, Zoolander is about a fashion model by the name of Derek Zoolander who is the most famous fashion model in the industry. A very enjoyable film, Zoolander has a great cast of comic actors. Starring alongside Still is his father, Jerry, Owen Wilson and Will Farrell (who was in his prime, and funny too).Zoolander is an enjoyable comedy with silly humour throughout. The film is funny and has a good idea for the plot. But at times the film struggles, but luckily the comedic performances of the cast keeps this film entertaining even if it's somewhat tiring at times. The film pokes fun at the fashion world, and nearly every fashion cliche is here. With cleverly written dialogue, the film works well enough to keep this film fun. The cliches presented in the material is mocked with very humourous undertones and you're nearly always laughing at the stupidity of it';s main characters. Ben Stiller is funny here, but this is not one of his best performances. Zoolander is a silly, entertaining film that is very funny, but never really is anything memorable. The film offers good laughs and a good time, but in the next ten years, this film will most likely be forgotten, if it hasn't already. Stiller's Tropic Thunder is a much finer comedy film than this. Zoolander is fun, but never quite fulfilling.
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funny, weird, and entertaining
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This is such a biased consensus - but MAN DO I LOVE THIS MOVIE. Sure, Stiller and crew deliver comedies with a similar success rate as Sandler and Co. (or even Ferrell and Sons), but this one's a winner. It's just so hard to make a bad movie when you're so incredibly,… More
This is such a biased consensus - but MAN DO I LOVE THIS MOVIE. Sure, Stiller and crew deliver comedies with a similar success rate as Sandler and Co. (or even Ferrell and Sons), but this one's a winner. It's just so hard to make a bad movie when you're so incredibly, ridiculously good looking.
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Farce is one of the hardest genres to pull off successfully and by and large this film succeeds. There are a few jokes that fall flat but this has several laugh out loud moments. The cast including most of the Stiller family are certainly game. Silly but fun.
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A male model is manipulated into assassinating the Malaysian Prime Minister. Deliberately dumb comedy has moments of greatness but it's a scattershot affair. Will Ferrell as evil designer Mugatu is hilarious. His brainwashing technique is delightfully memorable. And that gas… More
A male model is manipulated into assassinating the Malaysian Prime Minister. Deliberately dumb comedy has moments of greatness but it's a scattershot affair. Will Ferrell as evil designer Mugatu is hilarious. His brainwashing technique is delightfully memorable. And that gas station scene with the young male models, underscored to the tune "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" is genius. Writer, director, producer and star Ben Stiller is indeed talented, but his excessive mugging in the title role, grows a tad tiresome after awhile. We get it, Derek Zoolander is dim-witted and vain. Overall an enjoyably stupid farce. 3 words "Orange Mocha Frappuccino!"
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Yes, Zoolander is silly and absurd, but it's also the kind of movie that's still funny after repeated viewings. Derek Zoolander is easily one of Ben Stiller's most memorable characters, and as for Hansel? He's still so hot right now.
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Zoolander is a funny movie, it really is. I just didn't see any effort put into it. It has a lot of funny people in it, but that doesn't make a great movie. This lacked a convincing effect that would've made this an extremely better movie and one that I could consider a… More
Zoolander is a funny movie, it really is. I just didn't see any effort put into it. It has a lot of funny people in it, but that doesn't make a great movie. This lacked a convincing effect that would've made this an extremely better movie and one that I could consider a classic.
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A great cast....and very silly poor film. Not sure if it was aimed at kids but thats what it felt like. Only a few slightly funny scenes.
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I just don't get it, why is this funny? Its only got one joke in the whole film!!!
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this movie started the blue steel. what else do you want?!
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This is a hilarious movie and Stiller is brilliant!!!
This is a movie about a bunch of idiots really who are actors who are asked to things that they really cant cope with because there idiots and very entertaining movie and worth a watch!!
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<i>"3% Body Fat. 1% Brain Activity."</i>
At the end of his career, a clueless fashion model is brainwashed to kill the Prime Minister of Malaysia.
<center><font size=+2 face="Century… More
<i>"3% Body Fat. 1% Brain Activity."</i>
At the end of his career, a clueless fashion model is brainwashed to kill the Prime Minister of Malaysia.
<center><font size=+2 face="Century Schoolbook"><b><u>REVIEW</u></b></font></center>
This is a movie I have watched several times, and every time the overall silliness gets to me. The wonderfully goofy mock-intellectual conversations among the models, the recurring misunderstandings caused by differences in a model's skewed grasp on things and the actual reality surrounding them, microscopic cell phones .. it's just funny as hell. Owen Wilson, whose life consists of a series of gadgets, fads, drugs and leisure time only, Ben Stiller taking a trophy he did not actually win (Michael Jackson should have been hosting that ceremony ..). It's all good enough for me.
What I appreciate even more about this movie is the visual perfection. So much work has been invested into creating interesting sets and locations, great lighting and camera work, with the weird 'indoctrination sequence' in the day spa taking the cake. The great number of cameos adds to the mix - "Put a cork in it, Zane!".
Anyway, always enjoyable and a pleasure to watch. You can delve for deeper layers, like Ben tries to do for a day with the equally spike-haired relatives ("I'm not a professional television or movie actor!" - Jon Voight), but that's probably not what this movie was made for.
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Stupidity & absurdity at its worst & I usually like silly & absurd comedies, Stiller is annoying & unfunny like always
Read all 20 featured audience ratings
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