Zoolander (12) reviewed by RICHARD KING

YOU can tell that Ben Stiller has come a long way since his directorial debut with the highly under-rated Cable Guy. Zoolander absolutely reeks of big budget.

Fortunately Stiller has lost not one iota of his comic timing, writing, directing and producing as well as acting in what can only be described as the best satire of 2001.

Sure, its target is an easy one -- the world of the male supermodel -- but that doesn't prevent Stiller from creating some absolutely barking mad, laugh-out-loud set pieces.

Stiller is Derek Zoolander, three times winner of the male model of the year award and hotly tipped for his fourth trophy. Enter into the frame Owen Wilson as existential supermodel Hansel who is even hotter and things start looking pretty bad for Derek, bruised ego, deteriorating self esteem and down and out dirty jealousy.

But there's more. It would seem that all is not as straight forward in the beauty business. The fashion industry relies heavily on third world sweatshop production lines and whenever this is threatened they send out a stooge assassin to sort things out.

With the president of Malaysia about to introduce a minimum wage the fashion moguls foresee a financial crisis and need to choose a hit man who is high profile enough to get real close and also disposable... Guess who that'll be then? Yes it is very silly. So silly in fact it had me choking on my popcorn I laughed so hard. Stiller has an uncanny knack with self-depreciating humour and in the wrong hands this could have been simply insulting to the people it pokes fun at.

Instead he injects the script with enough personality and pathos to have us genuinely rooting for these two-dimensional pretty boys. This is helped in no small way by the presence of several authentic models and a cameo list long enough to fill an epic (standouts include Billy Zane and David Bowie). Stiller is superb as usual, as is Wilson. In fact everyone is suitably stupid or batty, making this the No 1 feel-good comedy of the year.