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Amazon.co.uk Review
In The Life Aquatic, director Wes Anderson takes his familiar stable of actors on a field trip to a fantasy aquarium, complete with stop-motion, candy-striped crabs and rainbow seahorses. And though Anderson does expand his horizons in terms of retro-special effects and a whimsical use of color, fans will otherwise find themselves in well-charted waters. As The Life Aquatic opens, Zissou (Bill Murray), a self-involved, Jacques Cousteau-like filmmaker, has just released a documentary depicting the death of his best friend Esteban, who was eaten by some sort of sea creature--possibly a jaguar shark. Zissou’s troubles also include his waning popularity with the public, and a nemesis (Jeff Goldblum) who hogs up all the grant money. Hope arrives in the form of Ned Plimpton (Owen Wilson), an amiable Kentuckian who may be Zissou’s son. Despite his lack of enthusiasm for fatherhood, Zissou welcomes Ned--and Ned in turn saves Zissou’s new documentary (in which he seeks revenge on the jaguar shark) in more ways than one.
One of Wes Anderson’s greatest achievements as a director to date has been launching the autumnal melancholy phase of Bill Murray’s career, starting with Rushmore in 1998, and Murray delivers a similarly comedic yet low-key performance here. Unfortunately, Zissou is one of the few characters in this ensemble to achieve multi-dimensionality. Even co-star Wilson doesn’t get to develop Ned much beyond Noble Southerner, and he ends up seeming more like a prop for illustrating Zissou’s emotional development rather than his own man. The Life Aquatic probably won’t be remembered as a great film, but it is still one that no Anderson (or Murray) fan can afford to miss.--Leah Weathersby, Amazon.com
Synopsis
In Wes Anderson's The Life Aquatic, a group of oceanic explorers who call themselves Team Zissou embark on a journey to hunt down the 'jaguar shark' that ate one of their crew members (Seymour Cassel). Determined to avenge the death of his dear friend, team leader Steve Zissou (Bill Murray) is melancholic about the journey he's about to make. Meanwhile, financial troubles and nostalgia for his past make Zissou behave like a reckless playboy, an aging softie, and a past-his-prime tyrant. Surrounding Zissou are a hodgepodge of eccentrics--a pregnant journalist doing a magazine feature (Cate Blanchett), an airline pilot from Kentucky who claims he is Zissou's son (Owen Wilson), an emotionally needy European (Willem Dafoe), an acoustic guitarist who sings David Bowie songs in Portuguese (Seu Jorge), Zissou's brilliant wife (Anjelica Houston), and her ex-husband who is Zissou's seafaring nemesis (Jeff Goldblum). Clad in baby-blue polyester uniforms, Addidas sneakers, and red stocking caps, Team Zissou is a sight to see. And as their deep-sea adventure takes them into dangerous waters where they are attacked by pirates and dazzled by CGI fish, the group finds magic both in their bonds to each other and in the colourful world around them.
In keeping with Anderson's unique brand of escapist humour, these caricatured characters are nothing short of fascinating. While their lives are extraordinary, they act bored, dwelling on banalities like hurt feelings, jealousy, and loneliness. The more absurd their stories are, the more believable their quirky personalities become. With plenty of hilarious moments offsetting the film's tongue-in-cheek sentimentalism, The Life Aquatic is sure to please seasoned Anderson fans and make new ones of the uninitiated.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
15 of 16 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
This is an unusual film, but all the better for it. If you have a dry, slightly offbeat sense of humour then this film will be perfect for you. Bill Murray is typically brilliant to watch and the rest of the cast add talent and flair to their roles. Yes it is kooky, and yes it is a little slow at times, but it is original and different and I love it for that alone. Give it a try, you've nothing to lose.
Feel free to check out my blog which can be found on my profile page.
Feel free to check out my blog which can be found on my profile page.
9 of 10 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
This is one of those movies, like Lost in Translation or Eternal Sunshine, that you are either going to love or hate. I don't think it will allow a middle ground. As such it's maybe one to rent before you buy.
It's also one of those films that are about nothing and everything all at the same time. So, at once, it's a fable about friendship, the difficulties (and rewards) of marriage, the insidious nature of professional jealousy, the pain and joy of fatherhood. But it's also about pursuing a dream in the face of ridicule. It's about camaraderie, bravery and foolhardiness.
But, arguably, it's also a critique on the sort of men who never grow up and who, metaphorically, will forever yearn to be the omniscient captain of a boat, venturing to sea to hide from their responsibilities and commitments.
And, then again, it's about the hunt for a great big fish.
Strange and beautiful. Frustrating and mystifying. Elegant and elegiac. Surreal and realistic. All of these things and none of them.
It's also one of those films that are about nothing and everything all at the same time. So, at once, it's a fable about friendship, the difficulties (and rewards) of marriage, the insidious nature of professional jealousy, the pain and joy of fatherhood. But it's also about pursuing a dream in the face of ridicule. It's about camaraderie, bravery and foolhardiness.
But, arguably, it's also a critique on the sort of men who never grow up and who, metaphorically, will forever yearn to be the omniscient captain of a boat, venturing to sea to hide from their responsibilities and commitments.
And, then again, it's about the hunt for a great big fish.
Strange and beautiful. Frustrating and mystifying. Elegant and elegiac. Surreal and realistic. All of these things and none of them.
8 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
This film is fantastic. missed it in the cinema, finally got around to being persuaded to watch it on dvd this evening, and am just about to buy it an hour later. Its just awesome. Very subtle at times, but still really nice audio and visual gags, completely over the top and brilliantly stupid at others. Everyone is perfect in this. no-one completely steals the show, because it seems everyone manages too at different times. perfect silly/feel good/want-to-be-an-old-adventurer-taking-on-the-world inducing stuff. just buy it, watch it, and then find yourself some speedos and a red hat. relax and enjoy it.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Utterly charming
If you like Wes Anderson's other films you won't be disappointed with this, it's brilliant. If you're not familiar with his work but like a film that's charming and a little... Read more
Published 2 months ago by George Kaplan
Bill at his worst!
Ive always been a big fan of Bill murray's since the ghostbusters, and have witnessed his comic genius first hand at the likes of stripes,caddyshack and groundhog day,all of 'em... Read more
Published 4 months ago by Rusty
The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou - Entertaining but odd tale of life...
After seeing Rushmore and The Royal Tenenbaums, I was looking forward to seeing Wes Anderson's next film, the intriguingly titled `Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou'. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Victor
Go team Zissou!
My missus, my father and I absolutely loved this film. I had heard of it, then I saw some stills from it on the Poor Man's Watch forum (Bill Murray wears a Vostok Amphibia)... Read more
Published 6 months ago by SpanielEars2000
Jump in and feel the pathos.
A cinematic masterpiece. Excellent pace, great characters, superb locations and sets, the actors are great, the direction spot on. Read more
Published 7 months ago by jaquesaulait
Sea-legs
Another offbeat offering from the talented Wes Anderson, I actually liked this a whole lot better than the mawkish The Royal Tenenbaums [DVD]. Read more
Published 10 months ago by Scaroth, Last of the Jagaroth
Brilliant film
I love Wes Anderson's work anyway and once again he does a fantastic work with this film.
Bill Murray is fantastic as usual and is well supported by his cast. Read more
Bill Murray is fantastic as usual and is well supported by his cast. Read more
Published 19 months ago by S. Payne
wierd film
I like Bill Murrey he is always worth at least several good laugh out loud moments and this film has many such moments, it is however a wierd film and takes some watching.
Published 20 months ago by budmouthboy
2-dimensional and disappointing
The director Wes Anderson used a similar cast in this film to the one used in the wonderful Royal Tenenbaums. Read more
Published 20 months ago by Bookworm
Funny and surreal- warms the cockles
have to say i'm bemused as to why people would label a film such as this as 'pretentious' because it clearly doesn't take itself seriously at all; it doesn't purport to be anything... Read more
Published 23 months ago by Veritas
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