A Major Disappointment

It's hard to see any effort in the film. There's no comedy to speak of, no real drama and, worst of all.

There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

There are very few directors that make me cringe as much as Wes, and God knows there are many embarrassingly bad "auteurs" out there. He tries so hard to be deadpan, clever, original, intellectual and profound even, but falls so flat, fails every single time. He could take a lesson or two from Hal Hartley on how to cast, write and direct this type of comedy. Wes's only talent is to set up a scene visually. That's it. That's literally all he can do well. He should be a cinematographer only, and stop thinking he is more than just a guy who's good with the camera. A great visual style comparable to Kubrick and other greats, though? I need to sniff those mushrooms too. I bet they're Bolivian.He makes comedies tailor-made for hipsters. Wes even throws in a couple of useless Bowie songs, hence endearing himself to those skinny poseurs forever. He picked 70s Bowie songs which of course makes him "legit". Hilarious.And the ca-jones he has to extent this dull plot to two hours! Wes doesn't follow even the most basic rules of comedy and common sense: don't go over 90 minutes when doing horror or comedy. Only a select few geniuses can get away with a 2-hour comedy without torturing the viewer. Though I did feel violated already after 30 minutes of this dross. So it's a bit like Chinese torture. Plenty of water in the movie to go around water-torturing millions of people.Oh well, at least he didn't cast the movie so badly this time. Wes seems to think that Owen Wilson and Schwartzman are comedic geniuses. He even casts Brody in comedies. Admittedly, casting Brody in ANYTHING is a sign of blithering incompetence.

2/23/18. A somewhat silly parody to pay homage to Jacques-Yves Cousteau (those red hats and speedos). Great ocean cinematography but the story line is totally silly. Decent cast for fans (Murray, Wilson, Blanchett and Huston).

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.

The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou is written, directed and produced by Wes Anderson. It tells the story of an oceanographer trying to get revenge on a shark after it ate his best friend. And for the most part, I really liked the Life Aquatic. Anderson's style resonates throughout the film: it's silly, goofy and bright. Some of it doesn't really make sense, but it's established by the tone of the film that that doesn't really matter. The cast is great: Bill Murray, Willem Dafoe, Cate Blanchett, Jeff Goldblum and others. Almost everyone is great, especially Murray with his sarcastic humor that never gets old and Goldblum with his eccentric antics. For me though, hat's off for Willem Dafoe. He stole every scene he was in as the German engineer. He was so funny and just great. I have to say I did not like Owen Wilson in this, at all. He plays this pilot from Kentucky, which is fine as a character, but the problem is I didn't see the character in the movie, I just saw Owen Wilson trying to do a terrible accent. Either cast someone else or don't have Wilson's character be from Kentucky.Also, for me the movie is at its best when it's silly and joyful, but the movie does fall back to melancholy and drama at times and that for me didn't really work that well in this type of film after the tone of silliness was established.However, overall The Life Aquatic is a very good movie, with great set designs and characters and great silly creatures and props. Things you don't see a lot in movies anymore and I really appreciate those kinds of things. You can tell a lot of heart went into doing this and I love that. The Life Aquatic is one of a kind and although it may get tedious at times, it's still a project that was made with a lot of love and creativity, so I respect it for that.7.5/10