(SPOILER ALERT)

“Zoolander No.2”, Ben Stiller’s sequel to the 2001 cult classic spoof on the world of male modeling, “Zoolander”, is chock full of celebrity cameos, trendy humor, unoriginal gags, and lots of “Blue Steel,” the protagonist Derek Zoolander’s signature facial espression. Unfortunately, despite high expectations from the media, “Zoolander No.2” did not live up to the first film.

First and foremost, the barrage of celebrity cameos was overwhelming: Justin Bieber, Demi Lovato, Usher, Miley Cyrus, Benedict Cumberbatch, Macaulay Culkin and Katy Perry just to name a few. For those familiar with the fashion industry, there were also a few iconic cameos by designers Vera Wang, Anna Wintour, Marc Jacobs, Valentino, Alexander Wang and Tommy Hilfiger.

The jokes, gags and one-liners were plentiful and on trend. The latest fads were given a nod, such as Netflix, Uber, white privilege, selfies and hipsters. Did it hurt the movie? Maybe not. But did it make it any more enjoyable? Sadly, no.

This film revisited numerous gags from the first movie, making it feel unoriginal and somewhat stale. The recycled plot and familiar visuals makes fans of the 2001 “Zoolander” feel like they’re watching the original film all over again.

Despite the film’s shortcomings, its two leading men, Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson are still entertaining. Playing male supermodels Derek Zoolander and Hansel, Stiller and Wilson continue to be the dynamic comedy duo they were 15 years ago, keeping at least some of the magic alive from the first “Zoolander” film and in some of their other collaborations such as the Night at the Museums movies and Starsky & Hutch.

But sadly, the duo just couldn’t save the movie for most viewers. Chad Cellini ’19, recalled, “It wasn’t what I expected and it ultimately disappointed me.”

However, not everyone felt the same way about the sequel. Emily Ritter ’17, commented, “I honestly didn’t think it was as bad as most reviews said it was, I still laughed and enjoyed the movie.”

Avery Mendillo ’18, a huge “Zoolander” and Ben Stiller fan, said, “I was really looking forward to this sequel, but was not at all satisfied. I thought they could have done so much better.”

To paraphrase Will Ferrell’s returning character Mugatu, “Zoolander No. 2” is so not hot right now.