BY GERMAIN LUSSIER | Derek Zoolander, male super model, is a character that Ben Stiller created for the VH1 Fashion Awards a few years back, and its those awards where his new film based on that character begins. Immediately, with the prologue and opening credits, the audience must suspend disbelief if they are to enjoy themselves. This movie is ridiculous, stupid, offensive, and if you like that sort of thing, totally hilarious; if not though, Zoolander might be the equivalent of going through dental surgery for an hour and a half. For me, being a fan of off the wall comedy, I felt Zoolander did its job in spades. I laughed for 90 minutes straight and couldn't be happier that I saw it.

The story, however unbelievable, is this. For the last 300 years, male models have been molded by the fashion industry to kill political figures who stand in the way of cheap labor and its up to Derek Zoolander to stop the madness before he is the next victim. Sound crazy (and like a run-on sentence)? Well that's not even the half of it. In what seems to be almost an alternate reality, male modeling in Zoolander is treated as a national pastime. EVERYONE is excited to see who wins Model of the Year at the Fashion Awards like it was Best Picture at the Oscars. EVERYONE drops what they are doing to say "Hi" to one of the male super models like they were Shaquille O'Neal or Michael Jordan. But in this world, in this film, this athletic parallel works very well. Especially since Zoolander's main competition is Hansel, the new kid on the block played perfectly by Owen Wilson. Wilson and Stiller are obviously friends and that chemistry shines on screen. Speaking of chemistry, Stiller also casts his real life wife, Christine Taylor, as his love interest. Besides being beautiful, I can't see anyone else except family playing the straight (wo)man in this crazy comedy. The film and character seem like such a labor of love for writer, director and star Stiller, that anyone else in these roles wouldn't do the film justice. Speaking of family, Stiller's father, Jerry, plays a significant role, not to mention Will Ferrell as the villain Mugatu. It goes without saying that both are a non-stop riot.

To add to this already great cast, Stiller must have called in a bunch of favors because Zoolander has more cameos in it than any movie in memory (including the soon to be dethroned champion of the cameo, Kevin Smith's Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back). Zoolander takes the cameo, transforms it, and brings it to a whole new level. There are so many movie stars, musicians and all around celebrities in the film, revealing just one would remove the pleasure of seeing these familiar faces in such wild territory. In fact, I'm sure that on a second viewing, I would see celebrities behind celebrities behind celebrities. Zoolander has that kind of layered feel.

And that kind of brings my thoughts on Zoolander together. It's a film that works on its most basic level as a funny parody; while at the same time gives one the sense that Stiller was trying to do something else with it, something grander. If he succeeded, only time will tell, but what I do know is that Zoolander is definitely a niche film. If you like crazy cameos, if you like lowbrow humor, or if you like the comedy or Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson, Zoolander is well worth your time. If you are not a fan of any of these, i.e.- you are the person that saw Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back and didn't laugh once, then don't see this film. These two films are alike in many ways, and that must be why I like them each so much. They play to an audience, stick to it, and will do anything to make us laugh.