--- title: "Zoolander: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/zoolander/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/zoolander" critics_score: 59 critics_reviews: 13 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Zoolander (2001): what the critics said Critics' score 59 from 13 reviews: 7 positive, 1 mixed, 5 negative. Most critics come down in favour, though not by much. The praise clusters on the target: the fashion world is judged ripe for it, and the deadpan silliness is thought to land more often than it misses. Stiller and Wilson’s pairing is the performance most often singled out, with Will Ferrell’s villain close behind, and several reviews enjoy the costumes, the catwalk set-pieces and the crowd of cameos. The spread is wide. Even admirers call it a one-joke film, and the doubters say the joke is stretched thin, the conspiracy plot compared more than once to a television sketch running long. RogerEbert.com objects to the assassination storyline on grounds of taste so soon after September 2001, and The Guardian’s lukewarm welcome is coloured by the same moment. The AV Club finds Stiller’s lead performance shrill and credits Wilson with what spark there is. The harshest reviews find the satire obvious and the humour heavy-handed. ## Los Angeles Times — Kenneth Turan Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 28 September 2001. The review praises the exuberant and insidiously funny satire that skewers the fashion world and celebrity culture, highlighting the deadpan humor, strong performances by Stiller and Wilson, and lively parody elements. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2001-sep-28-ca-50732-story.html) ## The New York Times — Elvis Mitchell Rating NYT Critic’s Pick. 28 September 2001. The critic praises the film as an unspeakably funny comedy that blends espionage satire with a blistering send-up of pop culture and the fashion industry. Stiller's direction is singled out for its seamless energy and stylish execution. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2001/09/28/movies/film-review-a-lost-boy-in-a-plot-to-keep-the-fashion-industry-afloat.html) ## Total Film Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 30 November 2001. Zoolander takes affectionate pot-shots at the insane fashion industry in a broader, funnier way than Prêt-à-Porter, succeeding as a wacked-out farce that works on every level with sight gags, one-liners and deadpan delivery. It is one of the funniest and most likeable comedies of recent times, a cult in the making and the Spinal Tap of fashion. [Read the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/zoolander-review/) ## Empire — William Thomas Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 30 November 2001. Stiller's directorial debut is a mostly successful lunatic camp comedy anchored by its star, trading on the premise that male models are stupid with hit-and-miss dumb jokes and cameos. It dovetails Stiller perfectly with Wilson and is funny enough to deserve hit status like its cousin Austin Powers. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/zoolander-review/) ## Slant Magazine — Ed Gonzalez Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 27 September 2001. The critic finds it a one-joke movie but a funny one, praising its absurd jab at the male modeling profession and Will Ferrell's performance as Mugatu. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/zoolander/) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Kirk Honeycutt Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 28 September 2001. The critic finds the film lighthearted and entertaining escapist fare with comic energy, though it evaporates quickly and never rises above a clever TV skit. Praises the silly story, wacky characters, and Stiller's balancing act. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/zoolander-original-movie-2001-review-933382/) ## Variety — Todd McCarthy Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 27 September 2001. The film is described as an amiable but erratic send-up of the fashion industry that misses some comic targets yet succeeds through good-natured cheer and the appealing central relationship between the rival models. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2001/film/reviews/zoolander-1200469725/) ## Screen Daily Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 28 September 2001. The critic calls it a profoundly silly but sporadically entertaining goofy farce of the fashion industry, praising its colourful costumes, giddy set-pieces and numerous cameos while noting it feels stretched. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/zoolander/407011.article) ## RogerEbert.com — Roger Ebert Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 28 September 2001. The critic finds the film's assassination plot targeting the Malaysian prime minister in poor taste, especially given real-world events, but notes some effective satirical points about the fashion industry and the extreme stupidity of the central character. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/zoolander-2001) ## The AV Club — Nathan Rabin Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 28 September 2001. Stiller's Zoolander is a high-concept action-comedy that connects only sporadically with its satire, suffering from a shrill one-note performance and sloppy script; Owen Wilson provides the little comic spark. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/zoolander-1798192763) ## The Guardian — Derek Malcolm Rating ***. 30 November 2001. The review gives a half-hearted welcome to the film as the first to reach UK screens after 9/11. It criticises the awkward parody of the New York fashion world despite the promising premise of a male model entangled in a conspiracy. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/News_Story/Critic_Review/Guardian_review/0,,609152,00.html) ## Time Out — WH Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 6 June 2012. The critic finds the film a failed vanity comedy that stretches a thin premise into a puerile conspiracy adventure, with unfunny catwalk capers and unoriginal insights into the fashion world. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/zoolander) ## Eye for Film — Angus Wolfe Murray Fi1m's normalised score 20/100 (inferred from the text). 29 November 2001. The critic finds the spoof of the fashion world obvious and the humor heavy-handed like bad SNL sketches. The political assassination plot and model rivalry fail to engage, with Stiller's performance and celebrity cameos not salvaging it. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/zoolander-film-review-by-angus-wolfe-murray) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/zoolander.md