Zoolander

Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, Will Ferrell, Christine Taylor

Directed by Ben Stiller

Rating: C

Derek Zoolander (Stiller) is a model and famous for his look "Blue Steel". Mugatu (Ferrell) is looking for the perfect dumbest model for his plans to assassinate the Malaysian prime minister who is trying to outlaw child labor laws. A snoopy reporter (Taylor) tries to help Derek from becoming Mugatu's next victim.

Zoolander is one of the better comedies of the 2000's. While maybe not a laugh-out-loud film of the year, it's enjoyable and Stiller is the best part of the movie. Zoolander is an over-exaggerated look at how models are conceited and have no brain cells but it pokes fun at them in harmless way. The movie isn't predictable because there's not too many modeling movies out there. This movie isn't Ferrell's shining glory but he does a good job at portraying an evil clothes designer.

Overall, Zoolander ranks itself among the movies like Dodgeball. It's a fun film to watch and maybe worth buying to watch every once and a while. For those fans of Alexander Skarsgaard from the hit HBO show "TrueBlood" should be excited for the small role he has in this movie.

Megamind

Will Ferrell, Tina Fey, Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill

Directed by Tom McGrath

Rating: 5 stars

Megamind is the story of an evil genius who actually gets away with it. Megamind (Will Ferrell) and Metro Man (Brad Pitt) never got along. As they grew older they battled each other and Metro Man usually won. However, on the day of the unveiling of Metro Man's statue, Megamind has a new scheme and this time he actually defeated Metro Man! Megamind enjoyed running the city as he pleased but it just wasn't fun without battling a superhero so he decided to create one... Titan (Jonah Hill). But when Titan decides he doesn't like being good, Megamind has to face off with his own creation to save the town.

Megamind is a movie not only kids can enjoy but adults can too. There's probably a lot kids wouldn't understand but watching this with a bunch of college students was fun. Like when Megamind got a text from Roxanne Ritchie (Tina Fey) and he told Minion (David Cross) "Hold on... [to himself while texting back] 'L.O.L smiley face." Since little kids shouldn't be texting, they probably wouldn't understand what's so funny about that. This movie deserves five stars because it's funny, it has a great cast, and a plot you've never seen before (okay, maybe I've never seen but it doesn't happen often). Who's ever seen a movie before where the bad guy gets everything he wants, then turns into a good guy? Sure, we've seen bad guys turn soft and into a nice guy but we've never seen villains in an animated movie go that way. So Megamind had a unique storyline.

Overall, Megamind was just a great movie. Dreamworks usually does a great job at making movies kids and adults can enjoy; like Shrek, Madagascar, and How To Train Your Dragon. I would highly recommend this for anyone who enjoys a good laugh, animated movies, and Will Ferrell. You won't be disappointed.

Elf

Will Ferrell, James Caan

Directed by Jon Favreau

Rating: 5 stars

A cheery Christmastime movie, this might be one of the favorites people like to watch over the holidays. Buddy (Will Ferrell) is a man who was raised in the North Pole among the elves. Until one December, Buddy had always thought of himself as an elf, despite the obvious. Papa elf (Bob Newhart) decided it was time to tell Buddy where he really came from. So he makes the decision to go find his biological father, Walter (James Caan), in New York City. Walter's wife (Emily) welcomes Buddy into their home. Throughout the movie, Buddy tries to adjust to a different world than he was used to in the North Pole.

This movie deserves five stars. If you've seen it, then you understand why. It's funny and full of remember-able one-liners such as, "Smiling's my favorite!" and "I'm a cotton-headed-ninnymuggins" that make you laugh out loud. Will Ferrell is hilarious and is what makes this movie as great as it is. I think what's great about this is that no matter what your age is, it appeals to almost everyone. Of course, there are probably going to be some people out there who don't like this movie. So I would recommend this movie to those who like comedies, Will Ferrell movies, and go into this without high expectations. Not everyone has the same sense of humor; this isn't for those who like quirky intelligent laughs. It would probably be better if you went in without a high expectation because then when the movie ends, you might like it better instead of wishing it was more humorous.

The Other Guys

Will Ferrell, Mark Wahlberg

Directed by Adam McKay

Rating: 5 stars

Allen Gamble (Will Ferrell) just wants to do paperwork for the police. He doesn't want to get in on the action but his partner Terry Hoitz (Mark Wahlberg) is dying to get out in the real world instead of being stuck behind a desk. Once police officers Highsmith (Samuel L. Jackson) and Danson (Dwayne "the Rock" Johnson) get killed while out on duty, Terry Hoitz steps it up and forces his partner to go out on a police call. While Gamble and Hoitz are seen as goofballs who keep messing up, nobody believes that what they're doing is real police work.

This movie is well worth the rating, 5 stars. The script is well-written and this movie is hilarious. Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg make a great choice for police partners. At first, Mark Wahlberg's character is not a fan of Will Ferrell and his oddity. After all, who likes to do paperwork? However, their relationship grows and by the end of the movie they've become friends. Maybe not great friends but they've come to respect each other.

There's lots of memorable scenes and quotes. From Will Ferrell yelling, "AMERICA!!!!" to Mark Wahlberg shouting, "I'm like a peacock, you gotta let me fly!"

I would recommend this movie for those with a good sense of humor. The Other Guys doesn't even have a long running time. It's only about 106 minutes and it doesn't feel excruciatingly long like some movies do. In conclusion, this is a must-see movie. The Other Guys is one of the best comedies of 2010.