The movie was so idiotic I could not stop laughing. I think you have to be older (I am 33) to really appreciate the wry humor imvolved. Anyone 21 and younger will probably hate this movie.

This film was one of Wes Anderson's best films ever made. It was funny, but very original. If he does get at least a nod for an oscar shame on the academy.

Wonderful , thoughful and funny movie.

Wow nothing else released this year comes close to touching this movie. so good it hurts

Keeping in the spirit of all Wes Anderson movies this delivers dry, perfectly timed humor at an overall slow pace. Bill Murray is on top of his game still and had me rolling in my seat from start to finish. A must see in my book.

I am a big Wes Andersen fan, and I can safetly say I was thoroughly impressed with his latest showing. No scene was left without Andersen's unique humor, and the characters were well casted and performed wonderfully. I usually don't go to the movies when I can rent them at a later date, but I will most likely be seeing this one again soon.

Brilliant and hilarious to say the least. Anderson's subtle and charming humor demands the attention and intellect of the viewer, yet ultimately proves worthwhile.

Truly bizarre, with incredibly vibrant sets, indirect but powerful subliminal humor and a killer soundtrack! if you like yours a little offbeat, and think there may be humor in a consistently stoned bill murray, as well as the works of david bowie in portugeuse, your $9.75 will go unwasted at your local multiplex monstrosity.

A gently subservive dreamscape of a movie.

Even better upon a second viewing.

It's not JUST a comedy, people. Anderson's movies are much more than that. One of the best movies I've seen in a long time, and like nothing else out there. Bill Murray, pirates, David Bowie songs, Jeff Goldblum and stop-motion animation. What more do you need?

I absolutely loved it. I found it hilarious. I went right out to buy the soundtrack when I left! go see it if you like off the wall movies!

Anderson in top form. Name one more movie this year (except Napoleon Dynamite) which has more lines, which will be used long after the movie credits roll? Of course you can't.

I give this movie a 10 mainly to rail against the hacks who drag the average down by force their intellectual film insecurities onto people who enjoy films by giving ratings of zero or one or two. Hey, it's not about who is smarter. Open up a little and realise that there is something out there in this world for everyone. And if you don't like it, that's okay. But don't try and rationalise other people's enjoyment into some sort of psuedo intellectual us poor white honest folk versus the elite up themsleves scum argument. Will Anderson is an original film maker even if everything he makes doesn't succeed wholly. Just let it rest at that.… Expand

Wes Anderson provides a checklist of all things fun and fascinating to a little boy--he surrounds Zissou with hot air balloons, hand guns, sharks, submarines, ships, bare breasts, pirates, planes, a pregnant woman. While perhaps not matching the dream-like quality and more immediate message-accessibility of Rushmore and The Royal Tenenbaums, when focused more on the former and when appreciated as what Zissou's childlike experience of the world may be like--The Life Aquatic becomes buoyantly alive.… Expand

What most people don't realize about this movie is that you can't just watch it once. it's the small hidden gems in each scene and line that make this a 10. it is my favorite Wes Anderson movie and after a couple of watchs, it'll be yours too! "Be still Cody, Be still."

It was genius i mean the previews gave a total different thought on what itd be like but in no way was it a bad thing. This movie was genius and touching and yes it was funny.

Awesome movie. very paced in its comedy.

Wes Anderson succeeds in creating a fully-realized world of heartbreaking sadness and subtle humor. To the critic who said it's a comedy with everything but laughs, you're right: it's a much deeper, more satisfying kind of atmospheric humor, without a single belly laugh. And much the better for it. I was amazed at how much I enjoyed the film, which I delayed seeing because of lukewarm reviews. Now I wish I had trusted Anderson, as he has never failed to deliver in the past. I think his skill at putting his off-kilter vision of life on the screen is at its best here. Luke Wilson is a perfect foil for Bill Murray, and is able to create a commanding, quiet presence in a way that is quite distinct from Murray's own subdued, masterful performance. Rarely have I been more satisfied by two hours of film. See it and decide for yourself.… Expand

The wry humour and suppresed pace of this movie may alienate or plain annoy some people. But the joy is in the detail, cell animation, soundtrack, cinematography - this is truly well crafted film, the nut's and bolts are often palpable - something lost on the majority of todays cinema goers.

We watch Anderson deflate myths about heroes and hero-worship, and still arrive at a beautiful and heart-felt ending, one that affirms our quests, as absurd and ego-driven as they may often be. I agree that he's a filmmaker that too often chooses style over narrative (The Royal Tenenbaums is a perfect example, and my least favorite), but he's got a unique vision of our desires, nostalgia, and the images they attach themselves to. Noah Baumbach's insights into how our desires exceed our capabilities (making us look like real jerks, all too often) ground all of the work they've done together. I suspect most people couldn't appreciate the connection between the mannered aesthetics of the film, and the themes it addresses.… Expand

This movie is awesome if you love Anderson, Murray, Wilson, Goldbloom, Defoe, and Jacques Cousteau. Coincidently, I do but can easily see where some will hate it.

Absolutely genious.

This movie was soooooooooooo funny. So querky and had such a big heart. I will definately buy this movie and watch it many times over. The writers do a tremendous job, the acting was close to flawless, and the music was spot on. Some great camera shots in the movie too. Please, SOMEONEm give Wes some kind of award for this

If you enjoy very random humor, then this is the movie for you. Most of the comedy you have to watch carefully for, but if you catch all of it, you will be laughing histarically.

Wow! What a great time. Everything about this was terrific. The ship cutaway set- wonderful, and I loved the way it was used. The characters were as delightful as the sea creatures. The soundtrack was brilliant and the editing was perfect.

A joy to watch from start to finish. Everyone in it shines. Angelica Houston and Cate Blanchet are two of the loveliest women on the planet. William Dafoe is adorable as Klaus. Owen Wilson charms, despite a bad Kentuky accent. The Portugese translations of Bowie songs by the ships safety expert, Pele (Seu Jorge) along with Mark Mothersbaugh's original score and Anderson's usual selection of perfectly placed songs, make the film a pleasure to listen to from the opening frame to the end of the closing credits. Bill Murray provides the tone for the entire movie in his character. If the movie strays into unprotected waters, it's because that's how Steve Zissou runs his ship. Zissou's crew is charming, eccentric, and mostly incompetent. Anderson has such a way with these types of characters that he can just send them out to sea together and know that no matter how disatrous the results, it will be damn entertaining. Also, I loved the fake-as-hell fish.… Expand

This movie is by far the best that any type of cinema has or will ever have to offer.

Best movie of the year.

A movie that is NOT the same old same onl. Its so different its good. If you like the UNordinary then try this one out for size. Its fun, adventurous and full of surprises.

Either you get this humor or you don't. This s/b an Oscar nominee- if the Oscars weren't poof.

This is Wes Anderson's all time best movie. Although some may say that Rushmore or Bottle Rocket are better, I would propose that The Life Acquatic represents a culmination of the genre that Anderson has created. As you can see by the reviews, some people simply don't get it (alas, it a tad bit more subtle than XXX or Fast and Furious). But, if you like smart, quirkily funny, unnerving yet imminently compelling characters and stories that represent real human emotion, you'll love this movie.… Expand

A review I read in Sight & Sound pulled their own metaphor from the movie that I found interesting. Towards the beginning when Zissou fights the photographer and inadvertaintly pops the bag the crayon-pony fish was in and he then drops it into a cup and carries it away. This could be scene as a metaphor for the films of Wes Anderson. An interesting creature obviously not of this world but trapped in a small quarters to only swin around in the same water forever. Now don't get me wrong, The Royal Tenenbaums is one of my favorite films of all time but Anderson needs to move on. In Rushmore when Max Fisher wrote and directed plays but the movie was segmented by curtains giving the impression that life is also a play you're writing every second I thought it was very insightful and brilliant; however, if we move forward two films he's still trying to tap into that same well with the Belafonte being divided in half so you get the feeling they're on stage. Judging this film alone, it's a very creative gesture that doesn't tie in completely but is certainly welcomed. But when you look at the rest of Anderson's repotriore you see it's just variations on the same expression. Despite that, there is oringinality to this film though. For instance Tenenbaums was a very slow paced film where not really anything happened plot wise (as most character studies are). So to go from that to a " high seas adventure-comedy" is a nice step forward. As well as all the stop-motion sea-creatures making this Anderson's most surreal film to date. But aside from that the main piont of the film is still the same. Poor excuses for fathers and people who are too involved in their own worlds to see beyond themselves (although the addition of a character like Ned is a nice twist to the Anderson gang). As much as this failure to develop bugs me, my only legitamate complaint though is, like with most people, the script. Now I know this is not an ensemble cast piece like Tenenbaums but even the secondary characters need more room to breath. All the sedondary characters are interesting (Ned, Klaus, Elenore, Jane, and Alistair if you wish) and diverse enough however Anderson doesn't let them stretch beyond "what they can do to serve/avoid Steve". Tenenbaums was written brilliantly with a perfect balance between everyone. So I don't know if i should be blaming the new co-writer Baumbach, or maybe just Wes slipped up in editing. Regardless it's still a wonderful film, no masterpiece and you can tell he can do much better although the direction is still top notch so nothing to complain about there. His next film is going to be Ronald Dahl's "The Fantastic Mr. Fox" and will be done in all stop-motion. So it seems our beloved director will infact finally move on Thank you.… Expand

One of the funniest films if ever seen. I am recently converted to the works Wes Anderson and i think this is his funniest if not his best work yet.

This was one of the funniest movies I've seen in a long time. It doesn't surprise me that so many people didn't 'get it' ... the mixing of stories; the esoteric humor and heavy irony make the movie unreachable to some. As an ex-zoologist who grew up watching the efforts of countless nature documentarian wanna-be's I was able to connect with the movie on an entirely different level. (Of course knowing that the over the top species in the film were done in stop action animation - with a tip of the hat to Ray Harryhausen, no less - certainly didn't hurt either!) This is one of those stories where we the viewers are left to fill in many blanks. And that, to me, is often what can make a movie truly engaging. Not only that, but the entire way that he movie is shot, the dialogue, the flow of the story, the images makes one feel not that they are watching a story unfold, but rather that they are looking into the imagination of someone who is hearing the tale as told by someone else. A brilliant flick, but not surprisingly not for everyone as you have to work and think to get the full value here.… Expand

This is one of my favorite movies. If this is a failure, I'll take a Wes Anderson failure over 97% of the successes out there. Makes you feel good for two hours, though it doesn't make you laugh like an idiot. But really, who belly-laughs anyways? If you sit there with a checklist as to what comprises a good film, of course you'll be lost. But what classic movie doesn't depart from convention? This movie, to me, is like two hours of that delicious tension you feel right before a punchline is delivered. On repeated viewings, you begin to realise that exploring the setup can be as fulfilling as racing to the gag. Having said that, there is a lot of traditional laughs here. "Be still, Cody," for example. But come on, every single line here is gold. Watch it fifteen times. So true, in its way.… Expand

My favorite movie. The irony kills in this movie.

Though this movie isn't exactly the masterpiece that "Lost in Translation" was, the movie is still a very smart Bill Murray comedy that has the nice whimsical feel of Wes Anderson's previous films. Though it has been considered a flop by most critics, I still fully enjoy the film, and always find something new to admire everytime I watch it. A favourite from the year 2004.

One of Wes Anderson's finest films. It's a shame that the critics and most viewers just don't seem to "get it". But then again, its the same with all his movies, if one has the sense of humor as I do, his films are among your favorites.

This perfectly captures what makes Wes Anderson so great; deadpan humor, absurd plots, eye candy, and genuine emotion underneath.

This to me is the funniest and most heart warming of Wes Anderson's films.

I wish I had more time, and more talent for communicating elusive comedy, because if I did, perhaps I could explain to people exactly what makes Wes Anderson such a great filmmaker. More importantly, I could describe just what makes RadioLady's review so damned funny. A more hilarious study in utterly unselfconscious personalities would be hard to find outside of movies made by Wes himself. "...made me want to go back to Italy"? "this particular emperor has new clothes"? No wait, wait. Here's my favorite: "Idealogical thought". This had to be a joke. It HAD to be. If it was, it's sublime. Oh, and be blessed by Wes' movies--sometimes it seems they're the only good ones still being made.… Expand

As any fan of director Wes Anderson will tell you, the choice of music in Anderson?s films is always of special interest, often reflecting his subject with a particular slant. For example, Anderson?s film The Royal Tenenbaums was memorably set in a colorful fantasy New York and was complemented in turn by a subtle pan-New York soundtrack. The music selection took in such metropolitan notables as The Velvet Underground, The Ramones, Paul Simon, and even John Lennon in his solo days. With his latest film, the melancholy sea-faring adventure The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, Anderson provides a large serving of early 70?s David Bowie. The film boasts a handful of Bowie?s own recordings from the era, plus several laid-back cover versions and an Iggy and the Stooges track that was mixed by Bowie. Of course, David Bowie in the 1970?s ? during his Ziggy Stardust period ? was a dramatic and inspired performer, but his roots were planted firmly in the theater (he had a passion for mime). When he left glam rock behind for Philly Soul first and Krautrock second, it became clear that Bowie never really was the rock god Ziggy, that it was all in fact a great performance. This simple analysis of David Bowie may provide the key for understanding The Life Aquatic. The film itself is much like a great Bowie tune ? glitzy and bold but all performance. The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou signals a new formalism in the work of Wes Anderson. Substantive character analysis and tear-jerking reconciliations take a backseat to a greater focus on aesthetics. Anderson has always been a visually striking filmmaker, but The Life Aquatic elevates his formalism to a high art of froth; the film runs through the motions of rich storytelling but never grants plot or character any real privilege. Anderson?s attention remains fixed on his wonderfully diverse form, shuttling from educational wildlife filmmaking to experimental montage, from cameras that rock with the sea to bold Kubrickian symmetry, even from widescreen footage to a television-scoped aspect ratio. And while the film is carefully composed ? far more, say, than Anderson?s formative Bottle Rocket ? its camerawork retains an appealing looseness that was often lacking in the rigor of The Royal Tenenbaums. The Life Aquatic, much like Quentin Tarantino?s Kill Bill vol. 1, may be its director?s supreme case for style as substance. But I am already hearing audiences complain that Anderson?s distance from his characters ? so unlike his warmth in Rushmore or Tenenbaums ? is the great fault of The Life Aquatic. Indeed, one might have to agree: while it is ludicrous to claim that all films require developed and textured characters to succeed (if you think that?s true, see Kubrick?s 2001), The Life Aquatic does spend time on its characters? dysfunctional relationships and on scenes of emotional catharsis. The problem is, these scenes don?t take the foreground and they feel like hollow copies of similar scenes from Rushmore or Tenenbaums. There are in fact, many glaring correspondences between The Life Aquatic and Anderson?s earlier films: Bill Murray?s Steve Zissou is essentially a version of Murray?s character from Rushmore and the Murray and Gene Hackman characters both from Tenenbaums; Angelica Huston plays essentially the same role here that she played in Tenenbaums; and Anderson?s stock themes ? fatherhood, the role of dead friends in one?s life ? recur here as well, as do familiar scenarios (the Zissou clan?s invasion of an abandoned hotel, for example, recalls the botched heist at the end of Bottle Rocket). The list goes on and on. So many similarities may lead one to conclude that Anderson is treading water, but there is something else at work here. The similarities are too bold, too blatant, and sometimes too exact. There is a scene wherein Steve Zissou is reconciled to his nemesis Alistair Hennessey, played by Jeff Goldblum, when he remarks that all of us are ?part gay.? The way the moment functions dramatically is near-identical to past moments in Anderson?s films where a single utterance can break down the barriers between two people. (We may remember Ben Stiller?s line in Tenenbaums, ?It?s been a tough year, dad.?) But the ?part gay? reconciliation is a joke ? it is funny and strange and even rushed ? and it does not move one profoundly. And yet? it does, somehow. The moment works if we know the world of Wes Anderson, if we know from his earlier films how it must function emotionally. Anderson may no longer be so deeply in touch with his characters onscreen, but they are still his characters, they are still the same Wes Anderson-types ? melancholy eccentrics, hard-headed women, sensitive adventurers ? and we understand them because Anderson has explored them so brilliantly in the past. Anderson has built himself a troupe of stock characters, earning the right to simply use them in a visually dynamic storyline. And while the script still rounds the same emotional bases, hitting nearly identical moments of catharsis, it is now simply a show, a performance, a great Bowie number, without any real piercing depth. On one level then, the movie becomes a parody of Anderson?s earlier work. Yet, through a familiarity with Anderson?s oeuvre, we can easily transfer much of the weight of Rushmore or Tenenbaums onto these characters and scenes; in fact, I believe that we are invited to do so. With this hard-earned elbowroom ? with the ability to use complex characters without having to create them again before our eyes ? Anderson can devote his full attention to form, and he delivers the greatest aesthetic statement of his career. Another thought: I saw The Life Aquatic with a sold-out opening night crowd in New York City, and the mood in the room after the credits rolled was decidedly hesitant. I heard one patron remark, ?It wasn?t as good as his other films.? Another said, ?I would have walked out if it wasn?t for Willem Defoe.? These comments struck me as strangely familiar, before I realized what I was remembering: the opening scenes of the film itself, when the crowd feels that Steve Zissou?s new oceanographic film is not as good as his others, and we see a couple walking out on his Q & A. It seems that Anderson may have embedded his film with a resistance to criticism he may have anticipated. While The Royal Tenenbaums was highly beloved, it was also criticized Rushmore fanatics for being overly formal. Anderson may have anticipated greater concern on this front with The Life Aquatic, and so he depicts a filmmaker defending himself against claims of ?unrealistic? filmmaking. That Zissou?s critics are shown as somewhat cold-hearted may be Anderson?s veiled critique of content-minded crowds bemoaning more formal projects. In this regard, The Life Aquatic recalls Woody Allen?s beautiful film Stardust Memories, wherein Allen plays a filmmaker whose fans prefer his ?earlier funny films? (this at a time when Allen himself was moving further away from comedy in his work). While Anderson is by no indications leaving comedy behind, he may be deliberately recalling Stardust Memories to signal a shift in his own artistic direction. But people don?t want change. Audiences have a hard time seeing new work as a stage in an onward progression. They want what they liked before. But if you want Rushmore, go rent it. The new one?s called The Life Aquatic, and it is both different and the same, exactly as it should be. … Expand

Loved it. twisted, subtle, genious.

_This is an adventure_ A sort of meditation on what it means to be male and wrong,and female and divine. i love anderson's way with the immaculate conception aspects of self, of expectation, and of desire. humor and loss go hand in hand like ebb and tide, and "over the edge" shoot-outs and such are well-earned, well-done,and ultimately uplifting.

From the begining, this movie created multiple levels of intrigue and delight. The ocean is full creatures, ideas, and images that defy reason, astound our sensiblities, and destroy any terrestrial notions of order. I enjoyed watching this movie as much as I enjoy snorkeling a reef. Drift along and enjoy each new scene for its own stunning visual beauty, or borrow from whatever literary nautical myths to reveal something monsterous under the surface of every-mans soul. In my case, the good ship 'Belafonte' may as well been named 'Serendipity'.… Expand

Wes Anderson creates the most surreal, creative, and humorous film to grace the screens of 2004.

Yeah, Wes Anderson is arch. Willem Dafoe is, no doubt, named after Klaus Kinski, and his nephew is Werner, as in Herzog; the director of "Fitzcarraldo" and "Aguirre, Wrath of God". It's been said that the two men had a love/hate relationship and entertained the idea of killing each other. Is there a connection between the Herzog documentary "My Best Fiend" and Esteban's death. Steve's "Best F[r]iend" dies in one of his documentaries, and if you've seen "Fitzcarraldo", death was very much a real possibility. But this sort of trivia doesn't make "The Life Aquatic w/Steve Zissou" a great movie. It's very funny, in an arch way, yes, but you don't have to be hipper-than-thou to enjoy Anderson's brand of humor; because isn't everybody growing tired of jokes relating to poo, vomit, and semen; or laughs born from the scatalogical, the homophobic, and racist ideologies.… Expand

Sorry about my really por english, but i really want to post about this awesome movie: This movie is really strange... it isnt fantasy, but also i isnt reality.. its beyond, a movie about feelings and realationships on a unique adventure. Wes made an unique film and a must see. THanks for this movie, i'll see you today again (3rd time) :D.

An excelent movie. A bit too quirky and subersive with it's humor for some, but my kind of movie. Film of the year so far for me, and yes i've seen sideways, million dollar baby, batman begins and most other great films this year. I love this movie. Murray puts forward an excelent performance, as does Owen Wilson. Genuinly touching and simply and utterly well made. You owe yourself if you like good films, to see this one.… Expand

Wonderful, dead-pan Bill Murray in a whimsical spoof of Jacques Cousteau. Everything in this movie is updside down while the characters swim through this great spoof.

I have found that Anderson's films resonate a LOT more on second viewing, and that was the case with Aquatic. I think the first time you see Tennenbaums or Aquatic, you are just trying to work out the rules of each film's universe. The rules are intentionally "off" in order to make the pathos that much more stunning when it descends. When Ned dolefully rejects Zissou's attempt to substitute a nickname rather than be addressed as 'father' ("It doesn't mean the same thing.") I blinked back a tear. That's the brilliance of Wes Anderson. The jokes aren't the stuff of Caddyshack and drama is melo-, but out from these colorful tableaus his odd characters nevertheless are able to reach out to the audience and deliver solid emotional punches. And this flick *is* funny, too. To wit, Zissou's solemn promise to his financier: "I will hunt the shark, but I will not kill it. Now, what about my dynamite?" :)… Expand

A beautiful movie about coming to terms with who you are.

Saw an edited for tv version last night. Brilliant, funny, understated, great cast chemistry, loved the orca acting like a pet dog begging for attention, very interesting plot/sub-plots with a surprise twist or two. I could watch it again immediately. Enjoyed the closing credits and music, but kept expecting 'Ned' to make a final appearance. Bill Murray, again, hits the mark. One of the most underrated actors in my opinion. I will watch anything he's in. Goldblum, as ever, pulls off his role with tongue in cheek. And Bud Cort had me doubled over. Great depth. Lots of life and truth in rather improbable situations. Piracy, the high seas, romance - and no Johnny Depp or ghost ships. A slice of yummy life pie. A high-brow movie with heartwarming appeal. And the dedication at the end is in line with what I had been reminded of all throughout the movie. I would have rated 10 stars, but didn't get the whole movie version.… Expand

I give Radiolady an A for alliteration but a C for cheesiness. When mixed with her raw score of an F for completely biased reviewing ("I must mention we don't like these types of films other people like" - paraphrased but with quotation marks for some reason), she ends up with a D+. Congrats.

I second Max! Radiolady, get a clue. Your review would fit perfectly with the movie OCEANS 12, but you are just clueless.

As with any Wes Anderson flick, you have to see it a couple time to really understand his genus. As for my mother, she taught me to insult people. If you have any REAL sense of humor you'll love this movie.