MaximumMadness Loosely inspired by the life of famed scientist, conservationist and oceanic explorer Jacques Cousteau, director Wes Anderson's whimsical comedic drama "The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou" has gone on to gain an ever-growing cult-audience in the thirteen years that have passed since its initial release. And for good reason- this is an endlessly ambitious and exceedingly well made work of art despite its inconsistencies and an occasional bit of pretentiousness that crops in now and again. It's thoroughly charming with a great dry wit and some wonderful characters to explore, set to a fascinating and very fantastical backdrop. I've always had something of a love- hate relationship with Anderson. I highly admire the man and adore his work on certain levels, even when more often than not I find his films to be a bit too tediously in love with themselves and overwrought. The man is without doubt a genius, and I think my feelings are a good reflection of that... even when I don't like his films personally due to my own issues with them, I still can love and appreciate their intentions."The Life Aquatic" is most certainly one of Anderson's more peculiar works- which is not small feat. It follows the titular Steve Zissou (Bill Murray), an oceanographer and documentary filmmaker whose life has hit a bit of a rough patch- not helped by the fact that during the filming of his most recently movie, his friend and colleague Esteban was killed by a mysterious beast described as a "Jaguar Shark." He vows that his next documentary will focus on his hunt for the shark, especially after members of the public question whether or not Esteban was really killed or if the entire situation was faked. ("But what would be the scientific purpose of killing it?"; "...revenge?") And so, the film follows his newest voyage, and focuses on the interpersonal relationships between Zissou and the members of his crew, including his estranged wife (Angelica Huston), a reporter who has come to document his latest journey (Cate Blanchett) and a young pilot named Ned who may or may not be his long-lost son, played wonderfully by Owen Wilson.The film is a powerhouse of keen visual storytelling and subtle, dry humor and grounded drama that lends it a great deal of quirky atmosphere while also maintaining a surprisingly heartfelt and realistically emotional core. The film is overtly stylized in virtually every capacity... from a wonderful series of visual sequences where we see the entirety of the ship opened up from the side like a dollhouse, to the inclusion of old-school claymation to bring to life the magical ocean creatures that Steve encounters, to very deliberate caricature performances from several supporting players... Anderson is creating a brand new world with this film (much as he does with all of his movies) that seems to exist in a similar but just slightly more cartoonish reality compared to our own. And yet, you can relate to it because he finds a proper balance in his handling of the world-building. As much as it is detached from our own perception of the "real world"... you still can still buy into the film because he never goes too far and keeps its heart in the right place with drama seeped in realism.And that's where the film really shines. With its magnificent and expansive cast of characters, who are all given career-defining performances by their respective performers in my opinion, and sharp writing that really seems to understand the human condition, you can't help but be fully absorbed in each moment. This is at its heart a delightful and oft-dramatic slice of life picture and a great study of the interpersonal relationships between troubled and sometimes even jaded and damaged people. Each and every player has their part to play and all are expertly expanded on through the way they interact with others and how their feelings towards one another change over the course of the film. And everyone does an absolutely fabulous job with their performance. This is one of the finest ensemble casts I have ever seen assembled. I didn't even get to mention key supporting players such as Willem Dafoe or Jeff Goldblum, who have smaller but very important parts to play in the story.I do have to comment, though... I wouldn't call it a perfect film. It's perfectly watchable and perfectly engaging and entertaining. And I would consider it a personal favorite. But it's not a perfect film. Because like many of Anderson's other works, I can't help but have some significant issues with the various facets of the movie that do detract a small but notable bit of quality from the overall finished product. As often delightful as the proceedings can be, it too often feels like its too fascinated with its own world-building, to the point it borders on tedium in a few key moments. There's a bit too much... of everything at times. (I know that sounds strange, but it's just how I feel.) It can also occasionally go from the edge of artsy and unique to pretentious and overdone as well, leading to one or two moments where you'll your eyes rolling while you say to yourself "Really?" And that can detract from the otherwise excellent world-building and exploration of character.But that cannot stop an otherwise very fascinating and deceptively complex film. It's hilarious. It's poignant. It's wildly refreshing and incredibly ambitious. And it's just a darned fun movie all around. I give "The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou" a very good 8 out of 10 and give my whole-hearted recommendation.

Ian (Flash Review)First and foremost, the humor in this is as dry as a camel's rectum. Mix that with unusual dramatic plot points, deadpan emotional relationships, action and fantasy. At the center of the story is a filmmaker making a documentary of his potential discovery of a large, rare, polka dot fish. During this expedition are a swirl of scenes that involve all sorts of unusual relationship scenarios, semi-slapstick gunfire, underwater scenes, a hijacking and a rescue all wrapped in a shell of dry humor. This being Wes Anderson, there is an abundance of light-hearted color tones, purposefully framed shots, an awesome ship set piece (think life sized doll house) that is cut in half so you can watch characters walk between different rooms. The bulk of the soundtrack are David Bowie covers. The film is super random which is a pro and a con; perhaps the pacing is awkward in some parts. Some parts are very whimsical and amusing and some parts are a little boring and unengaging. But the final package is highly original and worth the adventure. This is a film that needs additional viewings to perhaps catch all the subtle humor and symbolism.

Alyssa Black (Aly200) Indie filmmaker darling Wes Anderson tackles a hilarious at-sea journey in this film that parodies the famous Jacques Cousteau and his oceanography legacy. However we have an Anderson-style Cousteau in the titular Steve Zissou (Anderson regular Bill Murray) who is out to find an exotic shark that ate his long-term friend and colleague. Murray brings his trademark dry wit to the role of Steve, quipping stinging one-liners with some crude but gut-busting humor. The actor also brings an old-world weariness as his character has to face the fact that not everyone thinks Steve Zissou is a wonderful person. His chemistry with the film's other eccentric personalities make for the film's best humor as they clash and bond in endearing yet occasionally misguided ways. Joining Bill Murray's title character are an eclectic bunch of supporting players within the director's wheelhouse. From Steve's right-handed German engineer Klaus, played in almost cartoonish fashion by the incomparable Willem Dafoe (Dafoe's accent alone is amusing), the subdued Noah Taylor as the crew's navigator, Angelica Huston as Steve's intelligent and put-upon wife Eleanor, Cate Blanchett as a sassy reporter stuck with the Zissou crew to cover Steve's voyage for the jaguar shark and Owen Wilson as airline pilot and possible son to Bill Murray's Steve all make up an endearing set of characters who makes us laugh and cry at all the right moments.The film's humor is trademark for a Wes Anderson film as the director enjoys tackling family dynamics. The director never actually confirms whether Owen Wilson's Ned really is Steve's son, but instead gives us bonding moments that tug at our heart-strings and the scenes where Steve and Ned disagree make us shake our heads at how childish the men can act but also evoke awkward laughs. So of the film's funniest moments come from the constant clashes between Owen Wilson's Ned and Willem Dafoe's Klaus as the two actors behave like squabbling siblings until their touching final exchange before tragedy befalls the crew. Another boon for the film is the director's musical choice of David Bowie songs which for the quirky comedy are beyond fitting. Actor Seu Jorge covers every Bowie in his native Portuguese (Bowie's own voice is only used twice for "Life on Mars?" early in the film and for "Queen Bitch" during the final credits) which brings a fun depth to the legendary rock star's whimsical lyrics. Go for an adventure with this quirky comedy and you won't be disappointed.

imdb-45 If you're over 30 or 40 you've probably seen the older documentaries. My parents are big fans of Cousteau stuff, which is really dated by today's standards. This film is a quirky, very funny parody of a ocean explorer who is well past his prime. His old films are the over the top, contrived but supposedly spontaneous majestic ocean nature documentaries. And if you've seen them, it's funny. It's more of a character study of a team that is doing what it can to placate a legend in the field of oceanography and also can be a bunch of stooges, since the captain is focused on a senseless revenge mission.This is a totally hit or miss film. Like it or hate it. Get it or you don't get it. So I get the high ratings and think it's hilarious. The joy isn't in the plot itself as to what specifically happens but the funny journey along the way towards the unknown confrontation with an old enemy. There are some subplots, such as the "is he or isn't he" the abandoned son of the captain along with the love interest that is somewhat in between the Zissous.What I like about this film is that at least it is an original effort and not yet another rehash of something else. It's humorous, not intended to be taken seriously at all and completely an exaggeration and satire of a time that is long gone and probably relates far more to an older generation. This is why you'll see many ratings from younger people who just hate the film, not getting the joke that this is a Cousteau parody, something they have never seen or a time which they experienced.