It took a really, really, really ridiculously long time, but Zoolander has finally found made its way to the Blu-ray format (Blu-lander?) Yes, with the upcoming sequel right around the corner, the Ben Stiller film that’s only been attainable on DVD (is that any way to really watch male models this attractive break dance fight?) can now be watched in all its high definition glory!
Back in the early to mid 2000s the Frat Pack (Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, Vince Vaughn, Will Farrell, Luke Wilson and Steve Carell) were an unstoppable comedic team that created some of the highest grossing comedy films of the new millennium. One of the first films done by this team was Zoolander, and while it wasn’t as hugely successful as, say, The Wedding Crashers, it definitely has all the unique elements one can expect to find in a Frat Pack comedy.
Zoolander stars Ben Stiller as Derek Zoolander, a male model who’s…not so swift, to put it lightly. Okay, I’m not even sure you can put it lightly – the guy’s a moron. That said, he’s a lovable, hilarious moron. When the Prime Minister of Malaysia risks ruining the fashion world’s access to cheap child labour overseas, it’s put on fashion designer Mugatu (Will Farrell) to find a male model to brainwash into assassinating the Prime Minister during his visit stateside.
It doesn’t take long for Mugatu to realize that Derek is the perfect candidate for the job; though after an embarrassing loss to newcomer Hansel, he’s so hot right now, Hansel (Owen Wilson) during a modeling awards ceremony, things get a bit trickier as Derek plans to retire from male modeling in a quest to find out if there’s more to life than simply being really, really ridiculously good looking.
What’s so great about Zoolander is how many jokes there are within jokes, so you’re constantly hearing new things to laugh at regardless of how many times you’ve seen it. There are also plenty of memorable moments that stand the test of time, such as the freak gasoline fight accident, or finding out Matilda (Christine Taylor) is bulimic, and can thus read minds as far as Derek and Hansel’s understanding of disorders go.
There are also LOADS of cameos to be found, and the dialogue is sharp, fun and really embraces the stupidity of the characters without ever becoming overly tedious. There are a lot of times that I quote this movie in everyday life, and while I wouldn’t consider it a classic by any means, it’s definitely one that you should seek out if you’ve somehow missed it and you’re a fan of Stiller, Wilson or the Frat Pack in general.
If you’re already a fan of the movie and you own it in DVD, it’s definitely worth the upgrade for the solid prices this is being released at. While it’ll be interesting to see how the sequel fares being released 15 years after the original, one thing is for certain: Zoolander is still really, really ridiculously good and you should go out and purchase it on Blu-ray because it’s still really, really ridiculously good and you should purchase it on Blu-ray.
So how does the movie look after finally getting the Blu-ray treatment? It looks as good as Blue Steel and Magnum combined, that’s how good it looks! For fans of the film, this is definitely the edition to own, and for those who are looking at a first time purchase, it’s really a no-brainer! On the audio mix side, the film sounds fantastic. The dialogue, soundtrack and overall mix are balanced beautifully, once again showcasing that this is the edition of the movie to own.
Special Features:
There’s plenty to be seen here, but it’s all been seen before if you’ve watched them on DVD, aside from a few minor additions. As a whole the special features are presented nicely. The breakdown is as follows:
Commentary with Writer/Actor/Director Ben Stiller, and writers Drake Sather and John Hamburg – This is an interesting one to listen to, and a gem for fans of the film. Stiller having such a prominent role in the making of the film on all fronts really allows for him to share a lot of insight into the process; however, all three are a great combo that makes this a commentary to listen to when you’re able.
Deleted/Extended Scenes (with optional commentary by Ben Stiller) – At roughly 16 minutes in total length, here we get to see some of the jokes that didn’t make the cut, or did, but were cut short. Quite often deleted scenes or extended scenes – especially in comedy – feel rather drawn out or boring when taken out of the flow of the film, so these are best watched with running commentary to hear why they were sliced and diced!
Outtakes – The Frat Pack and outtakes are two things that go extremely well together. This is almost seven minutes that you’re going to want to watch, even if you’re not into special features all that much.
VH1 Fashion Awards Skits — Here you’ll find a pair of skits done in 1996 and 1997.
Promotional Spots – There are about eight minutes worth of spots here, and 15 spots in total, randing from Zoolander giving public service announcements, to Ben Stiller and Zoolander conversing side by side. Overall there’s a good bit of fun to be found here.
Alternate End Title Sequence – Nothing much here aside from a mini-Mugatu dancing around the screen during the final sequence.
So as a whole, Zoolander’s debut on Blu-ray is a resounding success. Earth to reader: if you’re a fan of Stiller, Wilson or Frat Pack comedy, do yourself a favour and pick this up on Blu-ray todaiye!
Paramount Pictures Presents Zoolander. Directed by: Ben Stiller. Written by: Drake Sather, Ben Stiller and John Hamburg. Starring: Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, Will Farrell, Christine Taylor, Jerry Stiller. Running time: 89 Minutes. Rating: PG-13. Released on Blu-ray: Feb. 2, 2016,
