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Notes:
Eccentric, down-but-not-out oceanographer Steve Zissou and his motley crew find themselves in troubled waters when they attempt to track down the mysterious "Jaguar shark" that ate his partner while filming a documentary of their latest adventure. Adding to his nautical nightmares, Zissou must content with a beautiful journalist assigned to write a profile, and a new member of the team.
Comedy - This is a very strange, very quirky comedy that appeals largely to
existing fans of Wes Anderson's dry sense of humor. Those looking
for real big belly laughs or broad comedy will likely be confused.
Bill Murray GARFIELD, LOST IN TRANSLATION, OSMOSIS JONES Cate Blanchett THE AVIATOR, LORD OF THE RINGS: RETURN OF THE KING Owen Wilson STARSKY AND HUTCH, THE BIG BOUNCE Anjelica Huston DADDY DAY CARE, BLOOD WORK Willem Dafoe THE CLEARING, FINDING NEMO, AUTO FOCUS Director:Wes Anderson THE ROYAL TENENBAUMS, RUSHMORE
The above rating is an average of the critic reviews below.
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Berardinelli, Internet CriticFull Review Above Average I didn't dislike "The Life Aquatic" with Steve Zissou, but I didn't leave the theater with a strong desire to recommend it. It is not as engaging as "The Royal Tenenbaums," but about on par with "Rushmore" and "Bottle Rocket." The film strikes me as a better bet for a DVD rental than a theatrical option, but there are enough good things in the movie to keep most viewers interested.
Roger EbertFull Review Above Average My rational mind informs me that this movie doesn't work. Yet I hear a subversive whisper: Since it does so many other things, does it have to work, too? Can't it just exist? "Terminal whimsy," I called it on the TV show. Yes, but isn't that better than half-hearted whimsy, or no whimsy at all? Wes Anderson's "The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou" is the damnedest film. I can't recommend it, but I would not for one second discourage you from seeing it.
Note: The rating
above is our interpretation of what the critic would give this movie based on
their review. We are not affiliated with these critic's in any way.
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DETAILED OPINIONS
The positive and negative comments made by moviegoers are very
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OPINION OVERVIEW The following is the original "What's Worth
Watching" write-up for this movie.
Moviegoer Opinions:
We collected 113 moviegoer opinions. Looks like lots of moviegoers found this movie to be way too strange for their taste. It's unusual to see this many very low opinions. If you select this movie you're really taking a chance. However, quite a few enjoyed it, especially the younger crowd. Over half of the teen males rated it very high, but some hated it. As the age of the moviegoer, both male and female, increases the opinions decrease dramatically. So, if you're a teen male or female you have a pretty decent chance of enjoying "Life Aquatic." As for everyone else, your chances of truly enjoying this movie are quite low and your chances of truly disliking it are quite high.
Meet Steve Zissou: legendary underwater explorer, notorious blow-hard, and a man known
around the globe for his documentaries about the teeming life beneath the deep blue sea. These
days, however, life on land isn't going so smoothly for Zissou. His best friend and long-time
partner, Esteban, was recently consumed by a ravenous jaguar shark. Rumors are starting to
spread that he's losing his touch. And now, out of the blue, comes a genuine Southern
gentleman and Air Kentucky co-pilot named Ned Plimpton (OWEN WILSON) who claims he
might, or might not, be the long-lost son Steve never got to know.
Imperious, egotistical and endearingly off-course, Steve Zissou is now ready to make his
most epic film to date—the one in which he will wage vengeance on the jaguar shark, become
the father he never thought he could be, and regain some fleeting sense of his own nobility.
Setting sail on his boat, The Belafonte, Zissou assembles a crew that also includes: Jane
Winslett-Richardson (CATE BLANCHETT), a mysteriously pregnant journalist covering the
story of the expedition; Eleanor Zissou (ANJELICA HUSTON), Zissou's brilliant wife and
Vice President of The Zissou Society; adoring German engineer, Klaus Daimler (WILLEM
DAFOE); Zissou's arch nemesis and rival oceanographer, Alistair Hennessey (JEFF
GOLDBLUM); Zissou's septagenarian producer, Oseary Drakoulias (MICHAEL
GAMBON); physicist and original score composer, Vladimir Wolodarsky (NOAH TAYLOR);
the bond company stooge, Bill Ubell (BUD CORT); Pelé dos Santos (SEU JORGE), the
Brazilian Safety Expert who regularly serenades the team with haunting Portuguese renditions
of David Bowie songs. The rest of Team Zissou includes perennially topless script girl Anne-
Marie Sakowitz (ROBYN COHEN); cameraman Vikram Ray (WARIS AHLUWALIA);
frogman Bobby Ogata (NEILS KOIZUMI) and editor and sound man Renzo Pietro (PAWEL
WDOWCZAK).
