Personally, I have a much lower tolerance for comedies than dramas.  This made 
my thorough enjoyment of 'Zoolander' all the more surprising.

Malaysia is threatening to shut down its sweatshops.  This would be a 
devastation to the haute couture fashion industry.  The industry response? 
Assassinate the Malaysian Prime Minister.  But who will do it?  From where do 
fashionistas materialize assassins? Who is both so easily brainwashed yet 
capable?  Male models, of course.  The perfect blend of idiot and physical 
perfection.  Derek Zoolander (Ben Stiller) is the premiere male model in the 
fashion industry.  Perfect.

Movies about dumb people being funny are rife (think David Spade/Chris Farley).  
Rarely, however, are they as intelligently written as 'Zoolander'.  Not to say 
this is a smart, or witty flick, just to say that the jokes are a little more 
thought out than the 90's/00's comedy standard.

Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson have marvelous comedic chemistry, but are just two 
of the funny people in 'Zoolander'.  Will Ferrell and Jerry Stiller deliver 
wonderful supporting roles as evil villain and modeling agent, respectively.  
Also making appearances as characters are Jon Voight, Vince Vaughn, Milla 
Jovovich, David Duchovney, Andy Dick. The list of cameos is too long to 
reproduce here, but as you watch the film if you ask yourself "Is that ?" 
the answer is yes.

'Zoolander' is a comedic updraft in a genre that appeared (appears?) to be 
descending further away from wit, and toward the nether-regions of our bodies 
and society.  (Eh, who am I to complain, our unmentionables are funny.)