2/5 stars 

Zoolander 2 is a surprisingly funny movie considering that it is little more than a cash grab. Male models Derek Zoolander (Ben Stiller) and Hansel (Owen Wilson),  have changed dramatically since the 2001 original. They seem out of place in a world full of fashionable garbage, androgynous models and hipsters.

Solid performances by Stiller and Wilson are overshadowed by villain Mugatu (Will Ferrell), ally Valentina (Penelope Cruz) and an overblown amount of celebrity cameos from Springsteen to Ariana Grande, Kiefer Sutherland (24’s Jack Bauer) to Katy Perry.

Aside from the scene stealing Sutherland, there was nothing special about this sequel. In fact, several scenes are an uncomfortable level of unfunny. The one use of the f-bomb in the PG-13 film comes in a scene that is not only unfunny, but just mean and feels like it was cut from the original Zoolander, as it fits the late-’90’s type of humor to a T. Fat-shaming, flat jokes and a poor script hinder this film from reaching its full potential.

Like most of the recent work of  comedy stars of the early 2000s, (Stiller, Ferrell, Vince Vaughn, John C. Reiley, Wilson, etc…), this movie fails to live up to the likes of Dodgeball, Anchorman, Step Brothers and the like, and instead belongs with Get Hard, Dumb and Dumber To and Delivery Man.

If you go into the film expecting it to be nothing more than an occasionally funny, often stupid film, you will be pleasantly surprised, but not by much. If you hope for it to be as good as its predecessor, then you are not going to be satisfied.