9 Reasons Zoolander 2 Is A Disappointment (And 2 It's Not)

8. The Product Placement Is Awful

It's a given in almost any major Hollywood movie that there's going to be some product placement. Some movies are clever, creative or subtle enough with it that it's not a problem, and then you get movies like Jurassic World, which just abuse audience goodwill. Sadly Zoolander 2 falls into the latter category, fielding out a wealth of absurd product placements, the most blatant of which are for Netflix and Uber. Netflix gets two mentions early in the film via Billy Zane, and though this does result in an amusing gag about how nobody gets discs delivered from the streaming giant anymore, it still feels excessive and shoehorned. The other placement sees Derek (Ben Stiller) getting an Uber cab back to civilisation, and the camera very intently lingers on the company's logo on the side of the car, more than a filmmaker would likely ever do without a financial incentive. This doesn't sink the film by any means, but on the other hand, it's hard not to roll your eyes either.