Films To Watch Before You Die #35

D.J. Haza presents the next entry in his series of films to watch before you die…

Zoolander, 2001.

Directed by Ben Stiller.
Starring Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, Will Ferrell, Christine Taylor, Gavin Rossdale, Jerry Stiller, Milla Jovovich, David Duchovny, Vince Vaughn and Jon Voight.

Zoolander is quite simply so bad that it is brilliant. Not a single thing makes any sense, everyone in the film is idiotic and yet it is so funny. The story follows celebrated male model legend Derek Zoolander (Stiller) as he career takes a turn for the worst once the new face on the scene Hansel (Wilson) takes his crown.

Unable to comprehend his turn of fortune Zoolander struggles with not being the centre of attention and announces his retirement from modeling. As he tries to reconnect with his family, who are coal miners, he is rejected and finds himself lost. All the while an evil fashion designer named Jacobim Mogatu (Ferrell) is planning to brainwash Zoolander into killing the Prime Minister of Malaysia who has recently put a stop to the child slave labour in his country that works for the fashion industry.

Aware that something bad is going to happen Zoolander seeks the help of Matilda (Taylor) and his rival Hansel. As the three of them try to stop the killing of the Malaysian Prime Minister they build a bond that sees Zoolander and Matilda become an item and him and Hansel friends for life. However, in order to save the day Zoolander must break the brainwashing and unleash his new model look ‘Magnum’, which is so beautiful it stuns everyone and allows him to apprehend Mogatu.

Zoolander is just as stupid as it sounds and probably even worse as the world of almost brain dead male models is found to be the breeding ground of all the major political assassinations in American history. Zoolander is a film you must see before you die because it is so bad it’s hilariously great.