Zoolander 2

Like Anchorman 2, Dumb & Dumber To, and Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles; Zoolander is getting the sequel that fans of the comedy have long-awaited. Directed once again by Ben Stiller, Zoolander 2 promises outdated supermodels grasping the complexities of modern fashion, full-lipped divas, hipster designers and evil super-villain schemes, but much like that CSI thing, most of us are only here to see Justin Bieber getting shot. 

15 years after the events of the first movie, Derek Zoolander (Ben Stiller) is in hiding after his ‘Centre for Kids Who Can't Read Good and Who Wanna Learn to Do Other Stuff Good Too’ collapses, crushing his wife (Christine Taylor) to death and scarring his friend Hansel’s (Owen Wilson) face. Derek and Hansel are convinced by Billy Zane to return to the fashion industry after “the world’s most beautiful people” are being assassinated, all with Derek’s trademark looks on their faces. Interpol - Fashion Division agent and ex-swimsuit model Melanie Valentina (Penélope Cruz) is investigating the mysterious deaths, with some uncertain link to Rome. Unfortunately, the only man who can help is no longer so hot right now. 

Stiller deals with the Canadian elephant in the room swiftly, killing off Bieber in the opening scene in a gratuitously long, extremely pleasing death that also serves to set up the mysterious plot that drags Zoolander out of hiding, encouraged to leave his snow covered retreat in the Alpine region of New Jersey by his good friend Billy Zane, one of many, many, many, many cameos in the second Zoolander. Much like the original, this film is stupid. It knows it’s stupid and the fans know it’s stupid. However it’s certainly not the first stupid American comedy to come out, so instead it tries to set itself apart from the others. Sadly though it seems to be living in the shadow of the first film - however small that shadow may be, and indeed one of the issues with 2oolander - as it's also know - is its constant references to the original film. Now I actually like Zoolander (the first one - I know this is confusing), however these references don’t serve to explain the first film to those who haven’t seen it. Instead they seem to be there purely as fan-service. Strike one. 

One of the other major issues with the film is Penelope Cruz. Her character is bland, annoying, appallingly acted and seems to only be there as a sexual object for teenage boys to ogle over. Yes, this is a film that mocks superficiality and there’s a reason her character is in this but she could at least get some decent jokes like her vain male counterparts Derek and Hansel. Otherwise the acting overall is fine. This is a close-knit circle of comedic actors that are always able to deliver, but none of them really stand out. Will Ferrell reprises his role as Jacobim Mugatu, who is decidedly Will-Ferrellish and Kristen Wiig is unrecognisable as the floating pile of cologne Alexanya Atoz, one of the more memorable performances. 

That isn’t to say that Zoolander No. 2 doesn’t have its good points. There are certainly plenty of chuckle-worthy moments throughout. It pays homage to a tonne of different movie tropes and farcically exaggerates them with several Bond-esque moments that could easily have been lifted straight from Austin Powers. The story in the original was certainly stronger, and you really can’t beat the petrol fight, but for a light comedy there’s certainly plenty of entertainment. However you can’t escape the somewhat formulaic similarities and rehashed jokes that make you question the creative incentive for a sequel here. 

Zoolander 2 is a decently funny sequel to what could probably be considered a cult movie by now, and there’s reason enough for die-hard fans to fork out for this one. However the endless parade of cameos, idiotic jokes and reused story beats indicate that in time it will probably join the likes of Airplane II, Hangover Part II and Blues Brothers 2000 in the forgotten sequels club, destined to forever live in it’s older brother’s shadow.

While We're Young

Noah Baumbach's latest feature While We're Young continues in a similar vein to his two previous films Greenberg and Frances Ha of being unable to find direction and comfort in your own life; only this time he adds in the idea of getting old. Baumbach also confusingly shoehorns in a subplot about authenticity in documentary, which threw me about what the film was actually about.

Josh (Ben Stiller) and Cornelia (Naomi Watts) are a couple who are experiencing a rough patch in their life due to indecision over having children. Josh is a documentarian who was been working on the same film for close to a decade and is struggling to complete the project. One day after giving a lecture, he meets a young couple, Jamie (Adam Driver) and Darby (Amanda Seyfried) and decides to spend time with them after learning Jamie is a fellow documentarian. Both Josh and Cornelia start to regain their youth by spending time with Jamie and Darby.

This movie wants to make you think that it is all about getting old and dealing with it, but Baumbach replaces this story rather quickly with the idea of authenticity (or the lack of it) in documentary filmmaking. Josh finds out that Jamie's style of documentary making is far from genuine and seeks to expose his ways. This storyline dominates the majority of the film and everything else is dropped in lieu of it. That's where this movie falls apart, it could have been a fun movie about to grown ups realising the life that young people lead isn't for everyone, but Baumbach gets to this in a rather roundabout way.

None of the lead actors bring their best to this film. Both Watts and Seyfried are relegated to the background of the movie and therefore we don't care about them. Driver gives an entirely lazy performance here. He is so much better in other movies, but here he really calls it in. Stiller is the worst offender of the film. We are supposed find the main character relatable, or at least likeable, but his character is a total asshole. Only Charles Grodin and Adam Horovitz (Ad-Rock of The Beastie Boys) give the most passable performances.

All in all, this is a missed opportunity of a movie. What could have been a smart, funny movie about the idea of growing old gracefully ends up being an unfunny mess about the ethics behind documentaries. Baumbach needs to change his approach.

War Movie Month: Empire of the Sun (1987)

The Japanese invasion of China is an oft-forgotten aspect of WWII, but when you think about the idea of the small island empire invading its larger neighbour, you can definitely see how big the undertaking was. Combine this with Steven Spielberg's epic style of film-making and you get a pretty big and exciting film.

Jamie Graham (Christian Bale) is a privileged English boy living a life of luxury with his family in Shanghai, where his father owns a corporation. Soon after the Japanese attack Pearl Harbour, they invade Shanghai, leading to the separation from his parents. Left wandering around the city after leaving his home due to starvation, he is saved by Basie (John Malkovich), an American sailor. They are both eventually captured by the Japanese and sent to Soochow Creek Internment Camp. Jamie, now named Jim by Basie, finds a father figure in Dr. Rawlins (Nigel Havers) and runs a successful trade network that even includes some of the Japanese officers.

Spielberg's bigger picture really does come into play here. There are many scenes with hundreds of extras that blow my mind away. They're definitely something that doesn't get done today, massive groups of extras would just be added in digitally in contemporary films. There are also some great aerial battles, albeit watched from the ground through Jim's youthful eyes, and these are a wonder to watch.

I'm a little disappointed that treatment of the people living in the internment camp isn't something that is covered too much in this movie. Japanese camps were well known for not having the best living conditions, but again we watch this movie through the eyes of a 12 year old boy. Anyway, this is something that Spielberg portrayed much better in Schindler's List. Spielberg does also throw in a small group of scenes with young Japanese pilots training for kamikaze missions. These culminate with a scene of Jim singing the Welsh lullaby Suo-Gân as they fly off on their mission.

Christian Bale is more known for his roles as Batman and Bateman, but his skill as an actor started at an early age. He was 12 when he got this part, he came recommended by Spielberg's then-wife Amy Irving. Young Bale had a certain innocence that was perfect for role and was capable of showing terror when it was needed. John Malkovich isn't as scary as he would become later on, such as his role in Being John Malkovich, and I find it weird that his character is revealed in a way as though we'd be surprised that it's him. He has a pretty distinctive voice and we hear him talk a fair bit before we see his face.

Supporting roles from Nigel Havers and Miranda Richardson help aid the main stars, but they're not entirely memorable. One of the better smaller roles is Dainty, a gang member of Basie's and played by a young Ben Stiller. In fact it was on this movie that he got the idea that would eventually become Tropic Thunder.

Verdict: A fantastic war film and a great introduction to Christian Bale.

Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb

Part of me is glad that they have finally put this franchise to rest. Some of this has to do with the fact that it has become a bit stale, there's only so much you can do when a museum's exhibit's have the ability to come to life. The other and more major thing is that it wouldn't be the same without Robin Williams (this is the final onscreen performance he did before his death).

After a disastrous dinner planned at the Natural History Museum of New York, where all the exhibits have gone haywire, night curator Larry (Ben Stiller) discovers that the magic that keeps the exhibits alive is fading fast and journeys to the British Museum to find a solution. He is joined by Theodore Roosevelt (Robin Williams), Ahkmenrah (Rami Malek) and the others to help. Once there he is confronted by Sir Lancelot (Dan Stevens), who believes the magic tablet to be the Holy Grail.

A lot of the jokes in this movie are subpar, if not complete repeats of jokes from the previous movies. Robin Williams, the most seasoned comedian of the group provides the most jokes, even referencing his Oscar winning role in Good Will Hunting ("Once more unto the breach, dear friends"). There are some historical jokes as well, which may float above younger audiences heads. A great example of this is a reference to the Egyptians owning many Jewish slaves, to which Larry replies that they weren't too happy about it.

Apart from Robin Williams, there are no real standout performances. Ben Stiller does his thing, but it just felt like he was recycling his role in The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. He was humourous as the caveman Laa, but this character wasn't exemplary. Rebel Wilson has a small role as the night guard of the British Museum, but I found her over the top English accent unbearable. Skyler Gisondo plays Nick, Larry's teenage son, and I felt like the character was just annoying and unnecessary.

The movie's cameo's are probably more rewarding than the lead roles. Dick Van Dyke makes a small appearance as Cecil, the former night guard, along with Mickey Rooney, who died not long after this film. Hugh Jackman appears as himself playing King Arthur along with Alice Eve as Guinevere. Ben Kingsley plays Ahkmenrah's father, but doesn't stick around too long.

Verdict: Slightly funny, but if you've seen the first one of these films, then you'll know why this one seems redundant. It's very sad and poignant that Robin Williams' final line is "Farewell, good friend".

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

If you ask me, I think that Ben Stiller's work as a director eclipses his work as an actor. That's not to say that he's not a good actor, but the films that really stand out for me are the ones that he's directed. And with his first film since 2008's Tropic Thunder, Stiller has made a heartwarming film about living in the moment.

Walter Mitty (Ben Stiller) is a lowly worker for Life magazine, with designs on dating a fellow colleague, Cheryl Melhoff (Kristen Wiig). Walter is prone to having daydreams that leave him zoned out in the real world, much to the discomfort of those around him. One day Walter arrives at work to find that they are discontinuing the printed version of the magazine and are downsizing their staff numbers. The man in charge of this is the abrasive Ted Hendricks (Adam Scott), who wants Walter to track down a missing negative of a photo taken by mysterious photographer Sean O'Connell (Sean Penn).

Ben Stiller is an extremely versatile actor. While he is known for his comedic roles, some of them even bordering on silly (White Goodman in Dodgeball), he isn't afraid to take on more serious roles. Though this film isn't a straight drama, it does have comedic elements to it. But overall, the ultimate message of the film is about living in the moment and discovering who you really are.

Likewise, Kristen Wiig has made a remarkable jump from comedy to the dramatic. Wiig is known for her hilarious roles on Saturday Night Live and Bridesmaids (which she also wrote). But in Walter Mitty she transforms into an actress who can give depth and background to her character.

Adam Scott is hilariously evil in a departure from the usually hilariously nice characters he plays on TV (Party Down, Parks and Recreation). Cameos from both Sean Penn and Patton Oswalt are rewarding.

Verdict: Whilst Walter Mitty is a pleasing ride that does give us some things to reflect on in our own lives, it doesn't really push any boundaries in terms of telling a story.