Wes Anderson's 2004 film THE LIFE AQUATIC WITH STEVE ZISSOU centers on the personal dramas of the title character (Bill Murray), a Cousteau-like oceanographer who feels like he has reached the end of his career. After a jaguar shark kills his partner, Zissou vows to go on one last adventure to hunt it and kill it. As he looks back on his womanizing private life, a young airline pilot (Owen Wilson) approaches him and suggests that Zissou may be his father. This budding father-son relationship unfolds among the struggles of Zissou's crew to reach the last known whereabouts of the shark.

Those who know Wilson's earlier films, especially THE ROYAL TENNENBAUMS of 2000, will recognize many similar themes, actors and humour here. The setting is ostensibly in our own time, but with much retro design. There are complex personal relationships and failed marriages. And the soundtrack is quirky, this time to an even greater degree (Brazilian star Seu Jorge singing David Bowie translated into Portugese and playing the guitar). However, there are some fresh new elements that keep this from being a mere repetition of his earlier comedy/dramas. There's even two shootout scenes, so Anderson certainly can't be hit with charges of making films where people just talk and talk. A delightful visual touch are the fanciful sea creatures (stop-motion puppets, not CGI), and the set design, which makes Zissou's ship Belefonte look real. Finally, whatever else one might thing of the film, the cinematography of the helicopter crash scene deserves great praise for so subtly and gradually informing the viewer that something has gone horribly wrong.

Yet, for its general entertainment on a single viewing, THE LIFE AQUATIC strikes me as Anderson's most uncomfortable film to date. Of everyone here, only Steve Zissou is presented with any sort of depth. Owen Wilson's character is about as vague and featureless as the jaguar shark himself, just one more obstacle thrown in Zissou's path. Bill Murray had already honed this type of grim middle-aged moper many times before, reaching his finest hour with LOST IN TRANSLATION, but here (as well as in BROKEN FLOWERS) he's obviously gotten stuck in a rut as an actor. Klaus, the German first mate, is a lame ethnic cariacture.

I like Bill Murry but this movie was a bomb. Good price and fast service.
Will shop again and would recommend to anyone.

I think a lot of people don't get this film at all. I happen to think this is Wes Anderson's best, most fully realized work. It's also one of the hardest films to try and explain to someone who hasn't seen it. For me it succeeds on all levels, narrative, visual and acting. Bill Murray is incredible. After you've watched the film once, turn it on again and watch it without sound. Note Murray's mastery of gesture.

I recently watched this film for the second time (I first saw it when it was initially released on DVD) and I enjoyed it more the second time than I did the first.

The movie has an almost surreal, dream-like quality about it. Many of the sea creatures are stop-motion animated rather than CGI which sort of lends a tongue-in-cheek quality to the whole experience. The music (mostly David Bowie songs, but also a "score" that sounds like it was composed and performed on a $20.00 Casio keyboard - another quirky touch courtesy of Mark Mothersbaugh of "Devo" fame) doesn't really seem to fit into the context of the film, but somehow it just WORKS.

There are many pop (and not so "pop") cultural references and gags throughout the film, but you must keep a sharp eye and ear open for many of them ("Not this one, Klaus" is a phrase that is obviously an homage to Francois Trauffaut's "Jules and Jim" - cute.)

I wouldn't say the film is laugh-out-loud funny, but there are many humorous turns of phrase and a few scenes of physical comedy than put a smile on your face. Bill Murray's deadpan delivery of his lines in fiendish. Zissou is a jerk, but you can't help but love him.

The set for Zissou's boat, the "Bellefonte" (another pop reference to Cousteau's own boat, the "Calypso") is obviously just that; a set. You can see how the actors are walking through doors to get from one room to the next depite the obvious fact that there are no walls on one side of all of the rooms. Another great "surreal" touch.

This movie may not be for everyone due to it's intense quirkiness, but I found it to be very original and a refreshing change of pace from the usual trash Hollywood likes to dish out on a regualr basis.

And, by the way, if Jacques-Yves Cousteau had been alive to see this film, I think he would have found it delightful and been honored by the tribute to him that this film obviously is.

Please give this film a try, but keep an open mind.

Bill Murray is great in this flick, and teamed with Wes Anderson, it's a sure bet.

If you don't know anything about this film, please realize that you aren't going to laugh like you might have in Meet the Parents or Old School. It isn't that kind of movie. It's a lot like The Royal Tenenbaums (The Criterion Collection) so, if you liked that film, this one is a good fit for you. I found the story pretty creative and fun to see what came of it, but I didn't have expectations of things being realistic or easy to follow. I also think the acting in this movie is terrific.

DVD was fine, but I got it the day after Christmas! Luckily my daughter got so many gifts that she enjoyed getting one the day after all her others!

This movie is great. It has comedy, drama and suspense. I'm going to be looking at the soundtrack soon too. Some people don't like it, but I love it. I guess it just depends on personal tastes. Overall, a good buy.

This film is one of the best I've seen in quite some time. This is a film everyone should see. All the roles are played perfectly. The camera work is superb. The story ranges from excellent dry humor, to almost bringing you to tears. The bonus disc has a wealth of interesting material, and gives you a great inside look.

I originally saw this at the theater and thought it was okay. But saw it again (due to my disappointment with his new movie) and my opinion has changed. I think this movie is vastly underrated I bought the criterion DVD and I have to say the picture looks fantastic on my 42 inch plasma, kudos to criterion for doing a great transfer. Also, Anderson's persistent use of wide angles makes for great images on the flat screen. I think Anderson should use his talent for meticulous set design which is so rich in this movie, and consider doing a sci-fi movie. I think the result would be incredible. By the way, the DVD menu makes a great screen saver with a cutout of the Belafonte and the little dolphins floating around.
As for what makes this movie work for me the second time around: Bill Murray, David Bowie's music, and the deadpan humor. There is a scene late in the movie between Jeff Goldblum and Bill, after the pirates have attacked and Bill (Steve Zissou) is at the mercy of his arch-enemy Hennessey (Goldblum) because his ship is dead in the water. The tension that has been building between the two finally comes to climax in a restrained but hilarious way. Watch what Goldblum does to Zissou's new pet. Funny. YOu need to be an active audience with Anderson's movies. They challenge you because you must pay attention to the character's ulterior motives which are revealed through subtext (and set design).
Suffice to say, I rediscovered other such scenes which had me laughing (trust me it's hard to make me laugh). Like the Big Lebowski, which I didn't like at first but came to realize had many layers of themes to explore, so my feelings are the same for this movie.
I think this movie is Kafkaesque in the sense, that the humor is derived from horrible circumstances and character's trapped by their own insecurities...give it a second chance.

This film is extremely underrated. As Rushmore and The Royal Tennebaums it's about fathers or paternal figures coming to terms with their resentful sons, but this one, even more than Rushmore, it's about trying to mantain your spirit as you grow old. The best scene: when Murray finds the jaguar shark and says "... I wonder if he remembers me", and everyone caresses him. The Sigur Ros song is a great touch.
You know what: we will remember you Zissou, you're that great!

As one reviewer said perfectly "The Life Aquatic is very funny, but its not for everyone" I would like to add to this statement and tell you a bit about the film, before you give in two hours of your time to watch this. Then maybe from the brief description you will decide if this is a film you will enjoy. "The Life Aquatic" has a very simple storyline. Bill Murray plays Steve Zissou who is a famous oceangrapher who is going after the shark that killed his partner while shooting his documentry. The film itself uses alot of dry humor, if you are a fan of slapstick, then this film is not for you. What we get here is a excellent perfomance from Bill Murray, who is once again in great form. You will be seeing Murrays side of his humor that is more gentle and dry, more like his peformances in Rushmore, Kingpin, and Lost in Translation. If you are a fan of Murrays slapstick humor from the movies "Meatballs", "Stripes", or "Ghostbusters" then you might be dissapointed. The film also includeds a great supporting cast along with William Defoe who is in rare form as I believe a German assistant to Murray. The film does have some hangups, as it is really slow. I mean slow. It clocks in at around two hours, and it feels a bit longer because this movie depends all on dry dialoge and there is very else action wise that is happening. If they could have cut it down a bit, I wouldnt have complained, so its not perfect, but still a very good performance buy Murray and Defoe, and still very funny, if the dry type of humor is your thing.

"The Life Aquatic" is a movie that revolves around two main characters, Steve Zissou (Bill Murray), and Ned Plimpton (Owen Wilson). Both of these characters are likable in how off-center they are. Zissou is an aging oceanographer, with all the vices of a sailor. Plimpton is a Southern gentleman and a pilot. These two people set off along with a crew to film and destroy a giant shark.

What gives this movie such a strange feel is the mixture of realism and absurdity. Some scenes are hilarious in how ridiculous they are, while others show how brutal and fragile life can be on the ocean. At times, it can leave the viewer a bit confused on what just happened.

So thinking back on "The Life Aquatic", I can best describe it as a strange sentimental movie. It has alot of elements of humor, mixed with the peculiarities of the main characters, yet weighted with death and violence. That being said, I thoroughly enjoyed it, and would recommend it to anyone who has an interest in the ocean.

If there was humor in this film it was over my head. I found nothing in this film to be even mildly humorous let alone down right funny. I think the joke is on the people who paid money to see it. Someone who says they see the 'genius' in this film is either deluding themselves, lying or a heck of a lot more thoughtful than I am. My advice: Avoid this garbage at all costs.

This movie is so funny and surprisingly there is a real story in it as well. This movie has a laugh in spite of itself, while coming off as dryly serious. Bill Murray is a master of this kind of delivery. You have to listen to the entire dialogue of this movie, alot of the jokes are subtle and you may need to use your brain. Yes the fish look stupid, beautifully done but utterly fake looking. Yes Zissou smokes pot like a chimney, but he is utterly confident in his ability to come out on top. Being the ever sarcastic wise cracker Murray is at the top of his game here. I highly recommend it.

This is one of my favorite movies and I was glad to finally get it on DVD. The special features are nice for a fan like me, you can see how incredibly creepy Mark Mothersbaugh is and what the actor who plays Esteban had to think, along with lots of great footage of Seu Jorge playing his guitar.

A must have for fans of the movie. I understand this is one of those polarizing movies where people with good taste and a good sense of humor get it and love it, while lots of other people don't get it. If you saw it and got it, then get this; or if you are into strange, odd, dark-ish, and/or interesting comedies, then check this out.

Peace
Blessed Be

I am sorry but I do like Bill Murray and Owen Wilson. But this movie is just plain bad and is very boring. I turned it off after the first hour when the movie was developing into nothing. I don't leave bad reviews like this unless they are very bad, and this one is. Rent something else, anything else besides this one.

I decided to take a chance one day and buy this used, I had been worried about watching it because there had been many used copies of the dvd(criterions no less) at my local video store for 5.99 with no one buying them for months on end. However, with a Anderson, Murray, Dafoe, and Goldbloom on board, it couldn't be that bad.
I'm glad I took the chance and bought the movie without having seen in. I really liked Anderson's previous movie the Royal Tenenbaums, and I was glad to see that in this film, he continued on making a very specific style. Although I think he has a great feel, viewers should be warned that it tends to have a rather polarizing effect(check out the other reviews on here),with not many in the middle ground. Personally, I find the look and feel of his films to have a great flair and imagination. The score is interesting as well, with the much discussed foriegn langauge versions of the Bowie songs. However, to me I think some of the creatures they came up with show the spirit of the movie. The scene that makes the movie to me is when the cast in under the sea in a small diving chamber watching a giantic "leopard shark" while a Sigur Ros track plays in the background.
Pretenious or not, who gives a damn, its a great escape from the dull world for a couple of hours that makes me happy for sure.

I can appreciate dry humor, but this movie doesn't even classify as being dry humor...it is just plain boring and lacks any story line. I struggled to watch the whole movie and through it all didn't laugh out loud once.

Spend your time in better ways, like watching the grass grow.

To every review I've read about this movie calling it "intelligent" humor that "unintelligent people can't understand", I respond with: it's pretentious, hipster bullcrap. This is a movie for people who want to talk down to others about their intellectual capacity, but fail to notice what they are using to feel superior is M-O-V-I-E. Ah yes, books require too long of an attention span, and there might be actual "words" you don't know and you'll have to look up! (boo-hoo)

This movie wasted one of the best casts I've seen assembled in a long time. The characters were horribly underdeveloped, the drama unmoving. It was a two-hour long battle not to fall asleep.

Coincedentally, this is also the last time I listen to a recommendation from anyone that finds Arrested Development amusing.

For the past week I've shown Jim Jarmusch's Broken Flowers in the Eastern Religions class that I am teaching and one day before turning on the film my students and I discussed the films of Bill Murray. Having grown up during the 1980s, I still associate Murray primarily with films like Ghostbusters, Groundhog Day, and the like, however, a good portion of Murray's films have becomes the darlings on the independent film circuit. A couple of my students asked me if I had watched The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou and I said that I had not, so today one of them loaned me his roommate's copy of the DVD.

The Life Aquatic of with Steve Zissou opens with a viewing of the title character's latest documentary in which his best friend Esteban is devoured by a Jaguar Shark. During the questionnaire after the films showing Steve Zissou informs the audience that in his next film he plans to kill the shark for revenge. However, these words are easier said than done because Zissou's ratings have been dropping over the last decade and companies are reluctant to finance his films. His falling popularity leads Zissou to indulge in alcohol to become more and more distant from his wife. Yet, it seems that Zissou's life is going to change when he meets Ned, a thirty year old man who claims to be Zissou's son. While neither affirming or denying being Ned's father, Zissou invites the younger man to come to his private island and later invites him to become part of his crew, however, how will the rest of the crew respond to this and how will Steve and Ned get along when they both have eyes for the same blonde, British reporter?

The Life Aquatic Life with Steve Zissou consists of an interesting mix of live action and animation. While all the humans are flesh and blood, most of the aquatic life is animated and animated in quite bright, vivid colors thereby giving the film a magical realistic, surreal quality. Top this off with a soundtrack primarily made up of David Bowie songs, sung by the man himself and in Portuguese by one of the films actors: Seu Jorge, make the film a visual and aural delight, however, is the film enjoyable itself? I say yes, yes it is, but it is a film that tends to move a bit slow at some points and at others might seem quite pointless as a whole. Yet, it does touch on softening the heart of a man who was afraid to love and care for others and a couple of scenes within the film are quite heartbreaking.

They've got cameras. They've got glocks. They've got a ship you wouldn't cross the LA River in, `though it does have a sauna and a very nice kitchen. They've got funding issues, interpersonal issues, mutiny issues, midlife crisis issues, love triangle issues, pirate issues... they're Team Zissou, and they're in search of Bill Murray's personal Moby Dick.

Talk about a movie that defies analogy and categorization; in plot and look and feel, it's not really like anything else out there. It's a feast, visually and musically; wonderful undersea footage (and stop-action animation), richly saturated colors, and a Bowie-based score with throw-ins from the Zombies, Bach, and Iggy Pop (of course, the Bowie cuts are all sung in Portuguese, so there!). The oversaturated colors and writer/director Wes Anderson's unconventional cuts (and a couple of truly amazing theater-style scenes on a cut-away version of the ship) give it a delightful but somewhat artificial feel, the feel I get from a well-done comic book; enjoyable but very clearly not `real' (which could of course spark the Film School 101 argument about what cinema is supposed to be, anyway...).

Yet it's also neither zany, nor naïve, nor even melancholy; gently surreal, maybe, like a mild buzz from the joints Murray's character smokes throughout. Murray has nearly perfected droll-and-despairing; one reason the movie works so well is that its pacing matches Murray's perfectly. Anjelica Huston is, well, Anjelica Huston; Owen Wilson plays southern-sincere so syrupy that he's almost Leslie Howard; Cate Blanchett does okay with an interesting but oddly unfinished character; Willem Dafoe gets to turn his trademark intensity on its ear; and for heaven's sake it's got Jeff Goldblum and Bud Cort in the same movie! What more could you ask for? It's truly odd, but not odd in a dark way at all... if you'll grant Anderson his conceits and just enjoy the ride, it's a heckuva ride indeed. A-

Sorry folks. I've struggled with Wes Anderson, probably more than I should have, at the urging of my nineteen year old daughter. No more. The Tender bums were boring. Rushmore gave a feint giggle. But this is the last straw. And if these films aren't meant to be comedy, do they pass as some inditement of their genre? Undeveloped characters, feeble plots, script thinness, Anderson has the lot. And I feel his cleverness has triumphed in an under graduate kind of way. Whoever suggested going to the beach instead of wasting away before this is on the money.

`The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou' ('04) is one of the most boring films I have had the displeasure to sit through in a long time. Believe me, saying that is as much of a surprise to me as anyone. I'm a longtime Bill Murray fan and really looked forward to finally viewing this movie. Not only do I generally love his films, but I also like Cate Blanchett, Willem Dafoe and Owen Wilson, so I thought this one was a sure thing. Boy was I wrong.

To be blunt and to the point; the film is not funny, the dialogue is uninspiring, the actors don't illicit any emotional attachment to their character and the plot wears thin long before this 118 minute albatross finally comes in for a landing.

My recommendation, pass on this one and go to the beach instead.

I was really looking forward to this film. Eneded up falling asleep......
The only reason I bought it was because a friend had leant me the DVD and my bulldog ate it.......
I hated spending the money on this

People seem to talk a whole lot about Wes Anderson and the intellectual quality of his movies, which is a line of babble I don't really follow. I know I DO enjoy quirky comedy, and Bill Murray as well as a lot of the other cast seemed like they could pull something out of this crazy plot.

In my opinion, they do and then some. Zissou might not be entirely formulaic movie making, but it's not really the art/fringe film some might suggest. It's funny because it's always treading near the realm of nonsense, but there's still a strong plot (which is actually Zissou's relationships with his supposed son, his wife, his crew, and the world that once gave him a career and now has deserted him, not the more outlandish revenge against a shark.) Despite a slightly confusing ending that asks the age old tirade, "why did they do that at the last minute to character X to make the end more dramatic" it is a fairly warm and engaging tale of a very dysfunctional lot of mavericks that nontheless somehow find expertise through their combined strengths.

The humor is like if the satiricalness of Office Space and the fast paced dysfunction of Arrested Development mellowed out and smoked a joint, to tell the life of a much crazier Jack Cousteau and his crew. All I know is that I'll watch again, because I like what has been created here, which is not my usual response to films.

This movie confirmed the suspicons of many critics that Anderson's "style" could be located in the hip, meta-cinematic moments, the thick irony and the overall Godard-ian sense of arbitrary film narrative. So despite the commercial success of the film, Anderson's craftsmanship (not an overstatement: this film took two years to complete), The Life Aquatic, according to some, redeployed the familiar: the formalization of witticisms and dry humor. So, it has yet to join the critical ranks of Rushmore and The Royal Tennenbaums, for better or worse.

Noah Baumbach replaced Owen Wilson in the writing process, a director whose deapan appeal might complement the tragi-comic tone of Anderson's other films? Yes and no. While this movie is distinctively Andersonian--from the thematized daily log titles, to the intern named "Nico" (Nico, or Christa Päffgen, is featured on at least one previous Anderson soundtrack) -- there does seem to be something missing. As Bowie queues the outro and the crew synchs up with the credits, this movie just feels a little thinner than the others. Still, The Life Aquatic proves nuanced and very funny...it probably deserves another viewing.

Not as funny as the Royal Tenenbaums (spelling?), which was absolutely hilarious. Was a bit weak on laughs, but kind of touching. We never really know whether Ned Plimpton ("Kingsley Zissou") is actually Steve's son. But who cares? That's not the point.

Although the underwater graphics were amateurish, they added to the comedy, especially when we actually get to see the phantom "Jaguar shark".

People who don't like this movie do not get this movie. This is an intellectual comedy of the highest quality. The incredible talent of the entire cast as well as Wes Anderson's highly stylized form makes The Life Aquatic a real treat. If you liked the Royal Tenenbaums, you will love The Life Aquatic. If you did not, do not bother. Anderson's style is unique and caters to a specific audience. If you have never seen his movies, give it a shot. If you have and didn't like or get the movies, do not waste any more time. For those of you looking for cinematic art and comedic entertainment of the highest quality, The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou is about as good as it gets in my book and it is worth every penny.

I really liked this movie for its subtle humor, creativity, and visuals. If you found this movie too boring then you are a fool who should stick to comedies like Dumb and Dumber. Intelligent comedies aren't for unintelligent people.

I am a huge fan of Wes Anderson's debut effort, "Rushmore." It was one of the most original, well-written, soulful comedies about teenage life (and our inability to grow beyond it) that I'd ever seen. And "Rushmore" also had a great cast, led by perhaps my favorite actor of all time, Bill Murray.

But then came the follow-up, "The Royal Tennenbaums," and Bill Murray was there once again. It was not a coincidence that "Tennenbaums" is not in the same class as "Rushmore" either as a comedy or a film, and that it also put Murray off to one side, barely using him. One was left to speculate about the possibilities of Anderson and Murray teaming up where Murray got the spotlight 100% of the time.

Those speculations were brought to fruition with "The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou," and things are generally what you would expect from this team. "The Life Aquatic" looks and sounds just like a movie one would expect from Max Fisher, the hero from "Rushmore." It's a low-budget, slap-dash affair (watch the hilariously-amateurish gunfight scenes) with whimsical special effects and ludicrous stabs at tragedy. But the blasting thing's got a heart, and its heart is in the melancholy, bemused visage of Bill Murray.

Murray plays the titular Steve Zissou, a minor-league Jacques Cousteau whose best years are both behind him and not all that great. Murray captures Zissou as a man looking into the abyss of his own mortality and his own futility with an elan only he could muster. Murray says more with a sidelong glance than many actors can evoke with a soliloquy, and for fans of this long-time great, "The Life Aquatic" offers many sterling moments.

But the rest of the movie, for all its heart and imagination, does not exceed the sum of its parts. It's funny in the traditional Wes Anderson way, populated with people who have no idea how pathetic they really are. And there are lines of brilliant comedy and insight. But just like Aaron Sorkin's dialogue from "A Few Good Men" to "The American President" to "The West Wing" sounds exactly the same regardless of who is speaking the lines, the Wes Anderson motif is starting to wear a bit thin. Particularly tiresome is Owen Wilson as a Kentucky Air pilot, whose southern-ness seems to play no role except for Wilson to fulfill some outmoded stereotypes. And Willem Dafoe, God bless him, shoots for the moon with his German side-kick, but he brings rage and intensity to a movie where the rest of the cast seems so mellow that you have to believe they are more than a little "baked," so he often seems to be coming from a different movie altogether.

If you love Bill Murray, or Wes Anderson, you will love "The Life Aquatic." As much as big a fan as I am of Murray, I still can't rave about the movie. But it is definitely worth your time, if only to see the magical wonder that is the Jaguar Shark. And to see draw the unparalled pleasure of seeing Jeff Goldblum get shot.

Don't get me wrong. I love Bill Murray and I'm so happy to see him get the critical attention he's deserved.

But these Wes Anderson "comedies" are just lame. RUSHMORE started out with a lot of promise but fizzled out. THE ROYAL TENENBAUMS was a two-hour set-up without ever starting any story (it felt like two-hours even if it wasn't). And now THE LIFE AQUATIC.

All of these films feel like colossal wastes of great casts. I don't think there's been a good comedy since A FISH CALLED WANDA in 1988 (although parts of THE BIG LEBOWSKI are hilarious) so I don't think we have a good scale of reference when it comes to comedies. Most stink. Maybe the current generation of moviegoers have no idea what makes a great comedy. That might explain the glowing reviews here.

Although Anderson's films are competently made, they feel stuffy and pretentious. Humorless. I chuckled once per hour. Not a good average.

I don't think this movie ever makes up its mind.

And I'm so sick of Owen Wilson that I wish Hollywood would give him a paid vacation. Does he have to be in every single movie ever made?

I actually enjoyed this much more than I expected to.

At one level. this is a 2-hour "what's wrong with this picture" game. Much of the humor is a matter of out-of-place or quirky things that just show up on screen, often for reasons that have not much to do with the plot. It isn't necessarily subtle humor, on the whole, but it isn't loud either; this isn't much like Airplane! in feel, despite some formal similarities. So you have a female crew member who walks around the ship topless, with no one remarking on it (Airplane! would have 20 jokes about it). You have a crew member who sings David Bowie songs in a samba style, in Portuguese. The underwater creatures are CGI'd to quasi-cartoon effect. And Bill Murray, just by being what you'd expect him to be (though not in the sense of being overly predictable), is often not what you'd expect a character like the one he plays to be. He's a Jacques Cousteau who has a suspect knowledge of marine biology and wants to pursue a new species of shark out of revenge, to kill it.

Much the same point could be made by saying this is a parody of Cousteau, with a bit of James Bond and human interest thrown in, but it's the kind of parody, like Galaxy Quest, that's also a fairly earnest example of what it parodies, though never completely so. It's this mixing of earnestness and off-kilterness that gives the movie its peculiar chemistry. The characters are close enough to real that we care about them and their concerns, and enjoy the film as parody, human drama and adventure. Low-key parody, human drama and adventure, for the most part. There is attention to detail, plenty of odd or just right characterization, set decoration, and other points to hold interest.

It may have helped that I came to this film with low expectations. It's the kind of oddity that leaves many people cold, as you can see from the reviews. But it has its charm, more overtly funny than Lost in Translation and less offensive to your higher sensibilities than a typical Leslie Nielsen comedy. I hope I haven't spoiled it for you by giving it a positive review, but I want to make it sound interesting enough to check out for yourself. I know I'm going to want to see it again.

I didn't fully appreciate The Life Aquatic until I watched the extras (on disc 2). Then each viewing became increasingly pleasurable, as the little details fulfilled their role in making a movie into an experience. There is a story behind the individualized red hats, the life size profile of the ship, the use of actual sound crew as cast, the Portuguese renditions of David Bowie songs, and so much more.

Watch the extras then enjoy this story of a Cousteau-esque documentary team who has seen better days (one of their crew has recently been eaten, the team is concerned about a wealthy competitor, and rivalries flare up internally when their leader's son appears). Outstanding cast, beautiful colors, unique stylings of Wes Anderson.

I'm a Professor of marine biology, and i have to say, that this is as close as it gets. Part fantasy, part oddball, but so close to the reality of how it is... it is amazing. I am stunned by the backlash from movie reviewers. As Antonia Cook would say "they just didn't get it". For the rest of us it's easy, relax and enjoy what life and its screwups, marine biology, being at sea and fathers and sons are all about.

This movie makes the universe a better place to be, something I would not say of most.