Review of Zoolander 2 (2016) by Travis N — 24 Feb 2016

Am so glad I went to watch it, in spite of all the unflattering reviews. Was apprehensive about the sequel from the outset - the first one was so absurdly funny, surely it would be hard to re-capture its charm.

Then after reading reviews, I was prepared for a heavy-handed, cringe-worthy follow-up. Instead, it ended up being really quite enjoyable. A fun blend of old characters (cue nostalgic thrills) and new (like the hilarious millennial hipster designer, Don Atari).

The premise is suitably ridiculous. Ferrell's Mugatu is just as delightful. Penelope Cruz is lovely and winning as Valentina (albeit somewhat under-utilized and over-objectified.) The cameos are mostly amusing.

And so while it's true that this sequel will not deliver the same special campy cult film magic of the first, I'd still consider it a pretty respectable re-visit of the material and a good time to be had.