The world of male modeling took a whole new form 15 years ago when the Ben Stiller directed Zoolander hit theaters. Unfortunately the film came out just three weeks after 9/11 where America just wasn’t quite ready to ingest all the wild humor the film possessed. Yet, like an energizer bunny that wouldn’t stop going, the film gained a strong cult following in it’s post theatrical debut. Now the sequel, also directed by Stiller, brings back the two buffoons (Derek & Hans) – along with a slew of very fun cameos including: Sting, Neil Degrasse Tyson, John Malkovich, and Kiefer Sutherland. It’s fun to see all these important icons become material in this wacky sequel, even if the sequel doesn’t quite capture the resilience of dumbfounded idiocracy that made the original so fresh. The film opens with a sprawling top-gun action sequence where a parkour jumping Justin Bieber get’s slaughtered (the gag proves to be quite humorous, but some Beliebers may cry out in terror). Therein is where the plot unfolds, someone is axing off celebrity icons left and right, and they all die with the signature “Blue Steel” look that made Derek Zoolander a household name

Of course, we also get a relapse back in time explaining the events which have unfolded over the last decade. Events, which have pushed Derek into hiding out in the wilderness as a “Hermit Crab” but rest assured Billy Zane shows up to give him the next assignment. Together, Derek and Hans along with a sexy interpol agent by the name of Valentina (Penelope Cruz) will bring down this mass celebrity killing syndicate.

Zoolander 2 does it’s best to hit all the right marks with style, and by that I mean..it’s so blissful seeing Derek back doing all his wild shenanigans and his crazy antics which just make you throw your hands up and say “this guy is really an idiot” he literally has not changed. Some of the jokes really stick, and I did enjoy the interactions between Derek and his long-lost son Derek Jr (played by newcomer Cyrus Arnold), and Will Ferrell does bring back his iconic Mugatu villain. But there are some long droughts where nothing is happening, aside from Ferrell screaming in someone’s face or Kristen Wiig in a terrible clown get-up that is not very flattering. Cruz is really just reverted to eye candy, and Stiller tries too hard to bank on nostalgia from the predecessor to gain a laugh or too, instead of focusing on new material for the sequel.

As was the case with Anchorman or Dumb and Dumber..waiting so long for a sequel is not always the best bet to cash in on. Typically a film like Zoolander 2 can ride the wave of goodwill from the original, only to sort of stumble at the finish line. Its only so frustrating because all the actors in this film are so vastly talented that it pains me they are all stuck in such an average comedy.  C+