Zoolander Parent Guide

Parent Movie Review
by Kerry Bennett

Legally Blonde may have some brainless beauties but Zoolander is like, duh, worse. Completely clueless and totally self-absorbed, Derek Zoolander (Ben Stiller) is an aging male model losing his grip on the slippery pinnacle of fame to Hansel (Owen Wilson), the hottest new hunk on the catwalk. After the deaths of three modeling friends in a freak gasoline fight accident, Zoolander decides to retire from the fashion business and return to his New Jersey roots. But this pretty boy with the bristly hair trademark is an embarrassment to his coal mining family. Disowned by his father and totally abandoned by his brothers, Zoolander agrees to strut his stuff for a new agency run by the diabolical Jacobim Mugatu (Will Ferrell).

But this fashion king has more than a kindly employment opportunity on his mind. Convinced that child labor laws are hurting his business, Mugato and his assistant Katinka (Milla Jovovich), invite the Malaysian prime minister responsible for these restrictions to attend the unveiling of their newest collection. Then the pair brainwash Zoolander, programming him to kill the politician. While Zoolander preens and preps for the show, a local reporter, Matilda Jeffries (Christine Taylor) uncovers some disturbing facts about Mugato’s former models and the assassination plans.

Although Ben Stiller wrote, directed, and starred in this comical poke at the fashion world, his most amazing feat may be the PG-13 rating he aced for this highly sexual film. Along with the explicit discussion of one character’s sex life, numerous sexual innuendos, and repeated depictions of crotch grabbing, Stiller includes an extended scene of drug-enhanced group sex and plentiful references to illegal substance use. Parents may also be concerned with the flippant response to one character’s bulimia confession, the constant droning of “whatever” and disparaging remarks about the department store clothes most of us wear.

Living in the surreal world of glossy magazine covers and constant photo ops makes real life a challenge for the man with the chiseled abs, but even Zoolander’s philanthropic desires to work with “children who don’t read…. good,” can’t save this film from tripping up on the family entertainment runway.

Directed by Ben Stiller. Starring Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, Will Ferrell. Running time: 90 minutes. Theatrical release September 28, 2001. Updated July 17, 2017

About author

Kerry Bennett

Kerry Bennett is interested in media from both a journalist and parent perspective. Along with authoring articles for several family-oriented publications, she has written for Parent Previews for over 15 years. As a parent herself, she believes parents play a powerful role in teaching media literacy in their homes.

Zoolander
Rating & Content Info

Why is Zoolander rated PG-13? Zoolander is rated PG-13 by the MPAA on appeal for sexual content and drug references

Overall: D

An aging male model unwittingly becomes a pawn for an evil fashion designer bent on assassinating the Asian Prime Minister in this film laden with sexuality and illegal drug use.

Violence: C-

Men spray gasoline at one another in playful manner, one man lights cigarette causing massive explosion, funeral scene with three coffins, dog pelted with various objects, man accidentally hit with flying hammer on at least two occasions (heard but not seen), man has heated discussion with another character, character throws hot drink at another character, character throws and destroys object, characters plot death of another character, man strapped into chair and subjected to hypnosis, pictures of dead characters at crime scenes shown, numerous shots fired at other characters, one appears to be mortally wounded, characters take on animalistic qualities when they become frustrated with computer, gun held to character’s back, women fight, characters fight including kicking, punching, banging head on object, tripping and slapping, man throws object and destroys it, woman pulls gun on another character, lip is hit and bleeds, characters fight on runway, characters push and shove one another, character attacks another character using martial art techniques, man throws weapon at another character, men tackle another man.

Sexual Content: D-

Women wear revealing clothing at fashion shows and on runway, man grabs woman’s buttocks, man comments about woman’s body, sexually obscene hand gesture used, man pinches woman, man discusses his health problems in bathroom setting, derogatory word used to reference man’s body parts, brief scene implies homosexual relationship, modeling company has sexually suggestive name which is seen and referenced on numerous occasions, man comments about woman’s bra and figure, extended scene shows man’s covered buttocks being slapped during massage and depicts an erection, woman shown in skintight and short dresses, man comments on sexual relation with woman, pictures of implied sexual activity shown, man comments on bathroom usage, extended scene of men grabbing at crotch, underwear revealed, frontal and rear nudity shown on statues, repeated references made to male genitals, characters engage in explicit and extended conversation about sexual activities, group sex depicted between woman and numerous male characters—upper shoulder and back nudity shown, model wears bra made of plastic drinking cups, woman implies interest in another female character, man makes repeated references to his prostate, kiss shown between unmarried adult couple.

Language: D+

At least 20 mild profanities, 20 moderate profanities, 2 extreme profanities and 10 terms of Deity used as expletives.

Alcohol / Drug Use: D

Drinking shown in bar and party situations throughout film, characters smoke on several occasions, one results in explosion and death of several characters, characters drink tea laced with implied illegal substances, characters discuss prolonged drug-enhanced experience, make reference to dope and other drugs, engage in sexual encounters in drug enhanced state, character shown drinking in bar.

Page last updated July 17, 2017