Nerds That Geek Movie Review: ‘Zoolander’

Written by Scott Edwards 

Some people tell me that I have no sense of fashion and with my love of wearing Hawaiian shirts as much as possible, I must agree. But fashion does not only come from the top designers in the world, although if one of them made a Hawaiian shirt that was affordable, I would make sure to buy one, but it is in the eyes of the people wearing the clothes. Even if something does not seem to be hot right now in all of the fashion magazines, it does not make it any less attractive, if the person that is wearing is really wearing it. Now, this has nothing to do with the movie I am here to take a look at, but I needed to get it out there to the millions of people that Hawaiian shirts are an excellent addition to anyone’s wardrobe. 

Derek Zoolander is nearing the end of his career however he feels like he is just hitting his prime. Winning the Male Model of the Year Award for the past three years in a row, Derek is unstoppable at this point, but he knows there could be trouble on the horizon since the next phenom is biting at his heals. Hansel is the hottest thing right now and has set the bar higher than anyone before him in his rookie year in the industry. Even though he acts like he does not care about the fame, Hansel wants to make sure that everyone, including Derek understands he is the best.

Designer Mugatu is running into hard times across the ocean as his primary hub for production is about to set a higher price on the cheap labor he and his counterparts have been taking advantage of for years. Needing to find a way to keep the new Malaysian Prime Minister from signing the bill into law, Mugatu is forced to find another unknowing scapegoat to carry out his dirty work. As Derek is down in the dumps after losing his friends in a freak gasoline accident, Mugatu devises a plan to bring the former great back to the runway and to properly motivate him to kill the Prime Minister. With this help from his longtime friend and model agent Maury Ballstein, Mugatu is able to get Derek to come back for one final campaign that will change the modeling world, forever.

Thinking that this is an opportunity of a lifetime and with a school being opened in his name, Derek jumps at the idea and heads off to a day spa, only to find out when he leaves, he has been there for a week. With the help of Time Magazine reporter Matilda Jeffries, Derek finds out that he has been brainwashed to kill the Prime Minister, along with the reason why male models have been front and center in all of the world’s assassinations. But, why male models? As male models are apparently not the brightest lights in the outlet, they can be convinced to do anything and being able to get close to people in power, they are the perfect killing machines. Even with this information in hand, Derek will not pass up on the chance to finish his career with a bang and heads to Mugatu’s show without any hesitation, but will his friends be able to stop him before he becomes another famous killer?

Now don’t get me wrong, this is a light hearted comedy that takes stabs at those who are looking to make the world a better place, for themselves. With plenty of jokes that will keep you rolling, a gasoline fight, and a walk off for the ages, you will be left wondering what really happens in the male modeling industry…and how do I get a job in it? This is one of my favorite Ben Stiller movies and it is not only because of the laughs, the cast, or the wardrobes, but for the growth he is able to give his characters, even when it seems like there is no way anything can ever change in their lives, something does and it makes them all better people in the end. Happy Viewing.

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