4 Reasons Leonard Maltin (Could Be) Wrong About Zoolander 2
*Spoilers for Zoolander 2, Zoolander*
That's right. Post number two is already throwing shade. Take that society!
In case you haven't heard, Leonard Maltin walked out of a movie for the first time after reviewing movies for more than half a century. His inspiration? Zoolander 2 (or Twolander, or Zoolander Too, or 2 Zoo 2 Furious). Considering Leonard made it through After Earth, a feat I cannot say I've accomplished, Zoolander 2 must be the end all be all of bad movies, right?
Wrong! Zoolander 2 is a cultural milestone, a grand epic, and perhaps the most important film of our generation. Actually, it's pretty dumb, but beneath the surface, I believe I've found some clues that point to this movie being a work of hidden genius. Here's 4 reasons why Leonard Maltin is wrong about Zoolander 2.
1. Ben Stiller is Too Good to Make Something So Bad
Bear with me. Ben Stiller is a decent actor with a few stand out performances, and a talent for creating relatable, if a bit absurd, characters. But Ben's real talent lies behind the camera. Stiller's directorial efforts are drastically underrated, and occasionally very deep, subversive movies.
Let's look at The Cable Guy. On the surface, it's a fun movie where Jim Carrey does a silly voice and ruins Ferris Bueller's life. But dig a little deeper and The Cable Guy plays out like a proto-Fight Club, (more on that in a future post) prophetic of the anti-establishment films to come. Since its underwhelming release, the film has gained cult status, being praised for how ahead of its time it was. Ben Stiller directed the perfect comedy for 1999, he just released it three years too early.
Then there's the original Zoolander, a movie about a dumb guy being dumb because he's so dumb. Ben Stiller didn't invent "the idiot", nor should he receive credit for doing so. The history of comedic film is littered with idiots. Zoolander is different, because this time, the idiot is a god. As the movie progresses, Zoolander is praised and pampered while contributing nothing to society, but can stop throwing stars with his good-looks. Typically, the idiot ends up being punished for his ignorance, but Zoolander suggests our society is so shallow and superficial that we would reward him. That Derek Zoolander is our god, and all power belongs to him.
But even a good director can make a bad movie, so why does this grant Stiller immunity? Well...
2. Zoolander 2 is a Bad Movie
Wait, what? Aren't I supposed to be defending Zoolander 2? Keep bearing.
Yes, on a surface level Zoolander 2 is a retread of everything done in the original, done less successfully. Throw in some lazy topical references that should age like fine milk, and an over abundance of cameos and you've got a real stinker on your hands.
There's about an hours worth of plot, stretched an extra 45 minutes, outdated transphobic, sexist and fat-shaming jokes, and even ill-timed edits, it's truly everything wrong with comedy sequels. Good directors make bad movies, but good god there's a limit.
One begins to wonder why this movie was even conceived. The original wasn't a huge success (not entirely its fault), it's been over a decade, and Ben Stiller's box office draw, along with other members of the Frat Pack, has been on a steady decline for the better part of that decade.
Leonard Maltin was right, this movie doesn't deserve my time unless...
3. Zoolander 2 is Supposed to be a Bad Movie
This is the part where I go off the deep end.
Once you dig through the surface, Zoolander 2 starts to look more like a satire of the Frat Pack era, and the uninspired sequels the films inspired. The plot of the movie revolves around Derek trying to find, then relate to, his son. It's about one generation being out-of-touch, and unable to connect with the next.
Suddenly, the "badness" of the movie starts to make sense. All the insensitive jokes, and lazy bigotry are reminiscent of the biggest hits of the early 2000s. Not long ago, nearly every comedy had a "hilariously gay" character that was just a collection of stereotypes and inaccurate assumptions. Some still do (I'm looking at you, Adam Sandler). Zoolander 2 isn't meant to celebrate this, but to bring it into the light. To remind audiences how horrible we were, not very long ago.
Then there's those pesky topical references, a staple of the god-awful reboot (Dumb and Dumber To comes to mind). My god are they unfunny. Ben Stiller is smart enough that things like selfie-sticks, Justin Bieber and hipsters are so frequently joked about a ridiculed that a fresh perspective is nearly impossible. Which is exactly why they have to be in the movie. If Zoolander 2 is meant to epitomize the lazy-cash grab sequel, lazy topical humor is a must.
Of course, Ben Stiller also has to take a stab at the abundance of CGI. One might think CGI laziness is a problem regulated to action blockbusters, but one could be wrong. Almost every studio comedy of the last 5 years has had a terrible CGI pratfall, where a character falls off a motorcycle, is electrocuted or punished by an air bag and should realistically die. How do they live? They're replaced with a stunt double straight out of the Uncanny Valley that looks muddy and rubbery because that's apparently cheaper than just writing something non-lethal. In Zoolander 2, Fred Armisen plays a child with the face of Fred Armisen, that looks like some unholy abomination, and contributes nothing comedically. There's not even an attempt at a joke. But he's there, because Ben Stiller needs to let everyone know how much they hate it. Which leads me to...
4. You're Supposed to Hate it
The other big release of the weekend was Deadpool, a movie demanded by fans, then advocated by fans, before it was even released. A large num
ber of supporters said that it didn't matter if the movie was good (it was, incidentally), they needed to support it so Hollywood would make more R-Rated superhero films.
Ben Stiller wants the opposite from Zoolander 2. This vicious satire of a film is bound to go over the heads of the less intellectual (like Leonard Maltin (just kidding, I love you)) leading them to believe it's just another lazy, Frat Pack sequel. And hopefully, they'll hate it. If the movie is hated enough, and flops hard enough, studios will reconsider the drawing power of an uninspired sequel. Then they'll stop funding them, and instead have to get behind another cow and milk it till it's dry.
Maybe they'll get behind frequent Stiller collaborator Noah Baumbach, pushing an indie director into the spotlight, and showcasing a fresh comedic voice. Maybe it's now the Apatow era (though it seems closer to the end of it). Or maybe the voice is yet to be discovered. But if we want to see where comedy is going, first we have to be willing to put the old-guard down.
Which isn't to say Frat Pack members shouldn't make movies. Far from it! As the members have aged, they've expanded into various other genre's. Jack Black, former frontman of the noxiously vulgar Tenacious D, is now a huge star in family films like Kung Fu Panda and Goosebumps. Steve Carell is evolving into a regular Oscar contender in films like Foxcatcher, and the Big Short. Ben Stiller himself has recent underrated gem The Secret Life of Walter Mitty along with his Baumbach collaborations.
Zoolander 2, by refusing to change with the times, isn't meant to set comedy back, but propel it forward. So Leonard Maltin may have been right to walk out of it, in the sense that it's bad and he doesn't want to watch it. But if we want to learn from our mistakes, and move forward into the new realms of comedic filmmaking, it's our job to make sure we put the past behind us, and remember what it was. That's why Zoolander 2 is worth watching, beginning to end. Because we deserve it.
