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All Flixster 3.5 Stars (74260) Want To See 22034 Not Interested 56527
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Male 3.5 Stars (48803) Want To See 14481 Not Interested 37149

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Plot: Internationally famous oceanographer Steve Zissou and his crew--Team Zissou--set sail on an expedition to hunt down the mysterious, elusive, possibly non-existent Jaguar Shark that killed Zissou's par...( read more read more... )tner during the documentary filming of their latest adventure. A young airline co-pilot who may or may not be Zissou's son, a beautiful journalist assigned to write a profile of Zissou, and Zissou's estranged wife and co-producer, Eleanor, joins them on their voyage. They face overwhelming complications including pirates, kidnapping, and bankruptcy.

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Recent Reviews

  • 4.5 Stars
    MCT:
    August 23, 2008
    There's a reason there's nothing informational on the box or disc of this movie. You really have to discover it yourself in order to fully enjoy it, so check it out if you want, if you don't want to... makes no difference to me. I don't want to alter your opinion of it in any way.
  • 4.5 Stars
    MCT:
    August 16, 2008
    Bill Murray's spot on sardonic performance and a great supporting cast (in speedoes!) bolster the atmospheric and surreal qualities to keep the laughs at a consistent rate, even though it isn't as emotionally connecting as Wes Anderson's previous work. Still, how can you hate a movie where Bill Murray goes on a crusade to kill a shark, possibly with dynamite, and has his entire crew put into uncomfortable-looking speedoes?
  • 3.0 Stars
    MCT:
    August 11, 2008
    Somewhat sub-par for a Wes Anderson movie... Had some of the Wes Anderson quirkiness to it, but where I remember almost all key moments in Royal Tenenbaums, I'm hard-pressed to remember one from Life Aquatic.
  • 5.0 Stars
    MCT:
    August 6, 2008
    A wonderflully honest film, with a good background level of offbeat comedy. As ever, Wes Anderson sets this film just slightly outside reality, and concentrates heavily on the nuances of conventional and unconventional relationships between realistic and complicated characters. It's really charming, and my favourite of his films to date (although I may be slightly biassed by the fact the group behave just as a conservation volunteer group I used to be part of, should we have tried to make documentaries at sea with pistols...).
  • 4.5 Stars
    MCT:
    July 30, 2008
    Loved it!! For some, this movie comes off as being just another "weirdo flick"...once again, you have to be in the right frame of mind to really appreciate it...and I do.
  • 3.5 Stars
    MCT:
    July 24, 2008
    I love Wes Anderson! This film feels a bit different and I like it. Plus Owen Wilson actually acts in this film.
  • 5.0 Stars
    MCT:
    July 20, 2008
    I really liked this movie. I never thought I would, but like 'The Royal Tanenbaums', it just struck my fancy.
  • 4.5 Stars
    MCT:
    July 19, 2008
    noticeably different in atmosphere and presentation than Wes Anderson's earlier work, but still an excellent and entertaining film.
  • 2.0 Stars
    MCT:
    July 19, 2008
    This movie is soooo 2 sided. Some people hate it some love it. I HATED IT. This was in the top 10 most boring movies I've ever seen. I just didn't get it at all.
  • 2.5 Stars
    MCT:
    July 16, 2008
    I am evidently not a Wes Anderson fan, which is a relief, I suppose. If I were, this would have been a fix for me. But since I'm not, I didn't get much out of it, just, "Man, the first Portuguese David Bowie song was okay, but is he really going to keep it going? Even I think that's a little much" and "Man, he really does have father-figure issues." So no, this wasn't any good.
  • 5.0 Stars
    MCT:
    July 16, 2008
    This movie is great. One of the best I've seen. It is funny,with very good action and adventure, and also very dramatic. An original story with a interesting plot about Internationally famous oceanographer Steve Zissou and his crew--Team Zissou--set sail on an expedition to hunt down the mysterious, elusive, possibly non-existent Jaguar Shark that killed Zissou's partner during the documentary filming of their latest adventure. The movie is formed by an all-star cast including Bill Murray, Cate Blanchett, Willem Dafoe, Angelica Huston, Owen Wilson and Jeff Goldblum everyone with excellent performances. Directed by Wes Anderson, this guy have a unique way of transmitting through movies . This movie is visually beautiful, it has a very good rhythm which make the movie enjoyable, he adds a very intelligent humor where the comedy comes from the situation and not from a joke. In conclusion this is a entertaining and enjoyable movie worth to see and highly recommendable.
  • 3.5 Stars
    MCT:
    July 10, 2008
    Me encanta Wes Anderson, pero de las que he visto de el, creo que esta es la que menos me ha gustado aunque el final si es algo que te quedas en el corazon. Linda, chistosa, super bien actuada; pero tambien creo que las peliculas de Anderson son personales, y si a alguien no le gusta es porque no se sintio reflejado con ella. Darjeeling Limited y Royal Tenenbaums se me hacen maravillosas... esta es linda, nada mas... pero no entra a mi coleccion de DVDs.
  • 4.5 Stars
    MCT:
    July 10, 2008
    very, very good. bill murray brings a sort of grave deadpannery to is role, and the lack of jason schwartzman means that stilted, awkward feel is now gone, leaving anderson's methodical direction feeling light-hearted and fanciful! also, a great plot, a soundtrack that is unobtrusive and yet amazingly effective, great acting, and gorgeous stop-motion animation. the works.
  • 5.0 Stars
    MCT:
    July 3, 2008
    Their was a time Murry was typecast to comedy films, though still making them his horizons have been broadened to more thoughtful or with more substance. The Life Aquatic is a prime example of this.

    Bizarre and quirky are just a couple of words that describe this film well. With exotic fantastical sea creatures and an eclectic plot that follows the life of Zissou (Murray). With colourful characters played superbly by the perfectly chosen past, it is not hard to fall in love and be swept away by the story.

    The digital creatures lack believability, but such things are not noticed as it fits fairly well with the eccentric setting and story. With many side stories to keep one glued to the screen you should be well entertained from start to end.

    Zissou a has been oceanographer and documentary maker hunt the seas of a perhaps fictional Jaguar Shark. Their are numerous other sub-plots with I will not reveal or delve into, but needless to say the story is very good.

    I definitely recommend this film to others and if you do not get it first time round, watch it again, because with each viewing it gets better.
  • 4.0 Stars
    MCT:
    July 3, 2008
    Lovely! Unique and slightly bizarre style, charming characters (Bill Murray is great as always, I especially loved Willem Dafoe in this quite unusual role) and funny in it's own way. Thanks to Seu Jorge's David Bowie covers the soundtrack is just great
  • 5.0 Stars
    MCT:
    June 27, 2008
    This is Wes Anderson's greatest departure from realism and into the realm of the fantastic. From the "crayon ponyfish", the Jaque Costeau outfits, the Mark Mothersbaugh(of Devo) pop song selection, the David Bowie songs in Portuguese, to the literally yellow submarine, we are granted a trip with a bygone hero on his last mission of revenge, love, family, and tragedy. The tone here is much more dayglo and childlike, but the characters maintain their trademark Anderson deadpan sensibilities and sharp/awkward wit.
    What dissapoints so many about this film, is that there is'nt an easy resolution. Paradoxically more than any other Anderson film this is his most fantastical and fatalistic. Steve Zissou learns all of his most important lessons far too late to do anything about them, theres a kind of division between the character and his life(the title after all is "The Life Aquatic...with Steve Zissou), where like so many Henry James characters Steve just can't get himself together, can't catch the fish, can't get the girl, can't make the movie, and even as his long lost son is returned to him, his wife abondons him, and his financers all but cut him off, he still can't get out of "why me?". For all it's raindow claymation fish, and clever musical samplings the end is straight outta "The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzia(an 80's film about superhero who was kind of the ultimate man), it's kind of a depressing film. Or at least the ironic tensions between the comedy and tragedy kind of flatten each other out. Still if given the option of spending two hours watching the Bellafontaine and it's crew, or in the lives of some of Wes Andersons other characters I'd take the red cap and the jumpsuit, anyday.
  • 1.5 Stars
    MCT:
    June 20, 2008
    I was very optimistic before watching it, but I don't know; Wes Anderson'e humor may be too dark for me. Most of the humor I probably didn't catch.
  • 3.0 Stars
    MCT:
    June 19, 2008
    yeah, it's quite good. very good characterisation, and has sigur rós in the soundtrack.... but it's not that outstanding.
  • 4.5 Stars
    MCT:
    June 10, 2008
    The script is not as tight and as quick as Wes Anderson's first three films but the rest of his trademark style shines. My eyes had been waiting a long time see a film that looked as wonderful as this on the big screen.
  • 4.0 Stars
    MCT:
    June 10, 2008
    this movie is a typical wes anderson movie. really wierd, but in the end you are glad you watched it.
  • 4.0 Stars
    MCT:
    June 10, 2008
    I have to say, I wasn't really bothered about watching this, but it's odd plot and mismatched, confused nature was actually more entertaining than I expected it to be! A good film!
  • 5.0 Stars
    MCT:
    June 8, 2008
    this movie snuck up on me, but i slowly realized that this is wes anderson's BIG movie. this is an epic story, like an original & modern Odyssey. there's nothing like the two gunfight scenes for their sheer humanity & pathos, even as they succeed in being deeply funny. cate blanchett gives a beautiful performance. bill murray in this film shows him as the genius actor he is (after his role as schmuck in tenenbaums).
  • 2.5 Stars
    MCT:
    June 4, 2008
    It was hit or miss the whole time. Bill Murray was mostly funny but I found myself bored through most of it and the end dragged on forever.
  • 3.5 Stars
    MCT:
    June 3, 2008
    Totally unique film-obtusely brilliant,deserving of massive cult status-was it a good movie?I don't know--it's whole weird,post-moderny Jules Verne adolescent fantasy aesthetic was very cool-gotta sit on it a bit & see if anything resonates later.Any way you cut it,though,Wes Anderson is one wacky son of a seacook!

My Friends Said...

Comments

  • sparky12789
    "You know Steve, niether of us have been very good husbands. But at least I have an excuse. I'm part gay."
    posted 504 days ago
  • BreakingDawnsFloyd
    I LOVE THIS MOVIE SOOO MUCH, IT IS AMAZING, BLAH TO ALL YOU PEOPLE WHO DON'T LIKE IT!!!
    posted 585 days ago
  • nicpelletier
    Comment peut-on ne pas apprécier l'intelligence et la beauté de ce classique nouveau genre. Un chef d'oeuvre contemporain!
    posted 815 days ago

Details

  • Rated: (R)
  • Directed by: Wes Anderson
  • Genres: Action & Adventure, Drama, Comedy
  • Released: December 10, 2004
  • DVD Released: April 26, 2005

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