Where Did Ben Stiller Go Wrong?

When I was growing up, I thought Ben Stiller and Will Ferrell were comedy gods. Most of that reverence could be traced back to my favorite movie at the time, Zoolander, which I will never apologize for enjoying. In my impressionable mind, Stiller and Ferrell could do no wrong. This was especially true of Stiller, who seemed like a comedy chameleon for a short time in the early 2000’s. He could switch from insanely dumb Derek Zoolander to the unfortunately-named and hapless Chas Tenenbaum (The Royal Tenenbaums) to the cartoonishly evil gym leader White Goodman (Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story) almost immediately. However, as time went on, Stiller’s characters started to feel less innovative and more bland.

You know the rest. Not that it’s a competition, but Will Ferrell continued to be the darling of the comedy world and hop shirtless from Talladega Nights to Step Brothers to Funny or Die, the site he founded. Meanwhile, Stiller seemed to disappear. Sure, he’s always had a steady stream of roles, but Stiller left the comedy conversations that Ferrell continued to dominate. It even reached a point where Stiller’s name became synonymous with the mainstream theater fodder that you and your friends relentlessly mocked. So what happened?

Stiller’s fall from critical love started when he fell down the family friendly comedic rabbit hole, and he’s had a hard time resurfacing since. This plunge probably started with the 2004 sequel to Meet the Parents, Meet the Fockers, but it was certainly cemented by 2005’s animated comedy Madagascar. Now, I’m not saying that Stiller’s early to mid 2000’s journey through the mainstream was a bad thing. During this time, Stiller created many memorable and entertaining movies that could, for the most part, be enjoyed by families. Decent family friendly entertainment is something that we desperately need. I’ve seen a lot of Stiller’s work and while there are some bad Ben Stiller movies, as a rule of thumb, Ben Stiller movies aren’t bad. They have largely, however, rested in the realm of forgettable.

Stiller for a while became a sort of cultural palate cleanser as a result of Stiller playing the mainstream game for too long. Instead of embracing his mainstream appeal a la Adam Sandler or going the Louis C.K. route of perpetual innovation, Stiller walked in between those two extremes. He would make a blockbuster hit one month then turn around and play an uncredited part in a beloved critical piece like Submarine the next. But Stiller’s latest work has been lacking one thing — bite.

What’s really confusing about this is that this is the man who starred in The Ben Stiller Show, damn it! Before he became a blockbuster hit, Stiller’s comedy was cutting. I wouldn’t go as far to say that Stiller was edgy, but he created characters and bits with a cynical edge years before that became the comedy norm. Ben Stiller, yes the protagonist of Little Fockers, predicted modern-day comedy and can be credited for helping to change the scene. Which brings us to present day.

Today, Zoolander 2 premieres in theaters, and as Kat George, a fellow Blue Steel fanatic, has already pointed out, fans are worried. After all, Zoolander achieved cult status and is incessantly quoted by my generation to this day. Just making a sequel would be an endeavor, but making one 15 years later? That’s scary. However, I don’t think those fears are completely justified. I could point to most of the original cast and writers returning as a confidence-boosting reason, but that’s not what has reassured me about the fate of this movie. My (somewhat wavering) confidence comes from a single quote from Stiller while he was being interviewed by Jimmy Fallon:

If you don’t have time to watch the clip, here’s the quote. Just so you know, Stiller is discussing the logic behind releasing the movie in 2016:

You know, a lot of people say that Derek’s not that smart, but I think, you know, the idea of doing a sequel to a movie 15 years after it came out that nobody really went to in the first place is kind of brilliant.

That right there is the sassy and insightful side of Stiller that we’ve been missing. Though he’s talking about his own project and arguably one of his more famous characters, that quote is biting. I think that Stiller has been returning to his cynical roots and exploring, and the results have been pretty great so far. Love it or hate it (most people hated it), The Secret Life of Walter Mitty was an interesting movie, and Stiller is particularly wonderful as Noah Baumbach’s male muse in films like Greenberg and While We’re Young. Stiller has even recently guest starred in Another Period, a show that is essentially a giant middle finger to modern day society. Even if Zoolander 2 sucks (please don’t suck), I think it’s a step in the direction to make Stiller comedically relevant again. For that, I’m excited.

Zoolander 2 premieres in theaters today, February 12.

Photos: Everett Collection