Don Laursen grew up in a small town in southern Michigan
where he was raised by wolves and forced to spend his winters foraging
for food around the frozen tundras...
Actually, that may not be completely true - we've yet
to confirm the whole Michigan-thing yet. We have confirmed
that he's an avid movie critic, which you will soon learn for yourselves!
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Hot Cinema -- Zoolander
by: Don Laursen
Zoolander (2001)
Directed by: Ben Stiller
I've been a fan of Ben
Stiller and Owen
Wilson for a while now. Both actors have demonstrated their
comedic talents more times than I care to mention, but
Zero Effect,
Shanghai Noon,
Meet the Parents, and
Mystery Men come to
mind. Since no movie starring either actor has ever failed to
make me laugh, when I found out about Zoolander, a film directed
by Stiller, co-written by Stiller, and co-starring Stiller and Wilson,
I knew I had to see it.
If there's one word to describe Zoolander, it's "silly."
The Mystery Men reference wasn't accidental—Zoolander
has much the same feel, I think. Maybe even moreso. This movie
has plenty of energy; lovably stupid, exaggerated characters; lots of
successful gags with almost no failed ones; acidic satire and dramatic
irony; a great cast; and more celebrity cameos than you can shake a stick
at. Even a really, really big and extremely shaky stick.
Perhaps the best part is that this film knows what it is: a ridiculous
farce. Had it taken itself too seriously or pretended to be anything
more than it was, it may not have worked. But as it stands, it's a
success. It kept me interested and laughing throughout. It's
just plain fun. Or funny, if you like.
For me, the biggest disappointment in Zoolander was when the
character played by
Christine
Taylor, who in my opinion looks amazing with glasses and her hair
up, lets her hair down and ditches the glasses halfway through the movie
and for good. The very fact that this is such a small detail and
a matter of personal taste and not even related to how funny the movie
is should give you some idea of how well-crafted the movie is overall.
You may have heard mixed reviews about Zoolander when it was
released, but if you like zany comedies, you'll almost certainly like
this flick. Were this not a comedy-oriented publication, I
probably wouldn't give Zoolander four peppers because, after all, it's
not going to make AFI's top 100 or anything. It is a very successful comedy,
though, and one deserving of praise. If you haven't seen it, for
Pete's sake, do so.
Filmography links and data courtesy of The
Internet Movie Database.
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