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The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou

Play trailer Poster for The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou R Released Dec 25, 2004 1h 58m Comedy Play Trailer Watchlist
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57% Tomatometer 225 Reviews 82% Popcornmeter 100,000+ Ratings
Renowned oceanographer Steve Zissou (Bill Murray) has sworn vengeance upon the rare shark that devoured a member of his crew. In addition to his regular team, he is joined on his boat by Ned (Owen Wilson), a man who believes Zissou to be his father, and Jane (Cate Blanchett), a journalist pregnant by a married man. They travel the sea, all too often running into pirates and, perhaps more traumatically, various figures from Zissou's past, including his estranged wife, Eleanor (Anjelica Huston).
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The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou

The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou

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Critics Consensus

Much like the titular oceanographer, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou's overt irony may come off as smug and artificial -- but for fans of Wes Anderson's unique brand of whimsy it might be worth the dive.

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Critics Reviews

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Sukhdev Sandhu Daily Telegraph (UK) The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou is so knowing and so arch: the first part striving for a faux-grandiosity that the second part tries to undercut by its pseudo-geekiness... but ends up being plain annoying. Apr 1, 2019 Full Review Anthony Quinn Independent (UK) How much of this will work for you depends on your appetite for the picturesquely dysfunctional. Apr 1, 2019 Full Review Peter Bradshaw Guardian It is such a brilliant idea, and everything looks so great, especially the way the film is constructed on Cousteau-esque lines, with the calm deliberation of a nature documentary from a more innocent age. Rated: 3/5 Apr 1, 2019 Full Review Nick Rogers Midwest Film Journal While it would be nice to be able to laugh a little more (acoustic-guitar versions of David Bowie classics sung in Portuguese only go so far), the film delivers a metaphor for the death of romantic and robust boyhood imagination with great subtlety. Rated: 3.5/4 Nov 9, 2023 Full Review Cory Woodroof For the Win (USA Today) While most Anderson detractors point to The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou as why they don’t like the filmmaker, even arguably his weakest film is still pretty outstanding. Jun 28, 2023 Full Review Matt Brunson Film Frenzy It may be impossible to love The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou, but it's remarkably easy to drown in its sea of eccentricity. Rated: 3/4 Feb 8, 2023 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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julie b Life Aquatic in summary is vibrant colours, sincerity, humor juxtaposed against melancholy, and silly little music bursts. It’s not perfect but it strikes a chord. Lots of good performances and characters - Bill Murray, young Cate Blanchett, Willem (in his little shorts) and Dumbledore all in one?? Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 09/23/24 Full Review mark g Wes Anderson is an icon, but this film sucked. Just lazy and trying way too hard to be hip. Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 09/19/24 Full Review Mason M It's not the worst film I've seen, but it's far too scattered in tone for me to really latch on to anything in the story. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 09/12/24 Full Review Korra N Weird, goofy and eccentric, The Life Aquatic... is arguably Wes Anderson's most underrated & underappreciated film, with a whole host of zany characters and wacky antics that will be staples of Anderson's works like in The Grand Budapest Hotel & Fantastic Mr. Fox. Wes Anderson's films aren't for everyone, but I do think Life Aquatic... should be seen by more folks just for how quirky it is. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 08/18/24 Full Review Meagan I I saw this film two decades ago in the theater, it is still my favorite film of all time. Over the past two decades, I’ve probably rewatched this film a couple of dozen times.We are introduced to an absolutely gorgeous, colorful world, that is not only imaginative, but human. We are tossed into an array of dry sarcastic humor, and Seu George. There is the beautiful balance of laughter, art, and slight sadness. I saw Seu George in concert covering David Bowie, shortly after Bowie’s passing, and that was my favorite concert of all time. I don’t know if it is a neurodivergent thing, or if the combination of art, film, and humanity is a perfect marriage, to create my niche. I adore this film, and I hope you do as well. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/05/24 Full Review Roo F The Life Aquatic is possibly one of Wes Anderson’s funniest movies, and casting has a lot to do with it. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 12/10/24 Full Review Read all reviews
The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou

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The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou

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Movie Info

Synopsis Renowned oceanographer Steve Zissou (Bill Murray) has sworn vengeance upon the rare shark that devoured a member of his crew. In addition to his regular team, he is joined on his boat by Ned (Owen Wilson), a man who believes Zissou to be his father, and Jane (Cate Blanchett), a journalist pregnant by a married man. They travel the sea, all too often running into pirates and, perhaps more traumatically, various figures from Zissou's past, including his estranged wife, Eleanor (Anjelica Huston).
Director
Wes Anderson
Producer
Barry Mendel, Scott Rudin
Screenwriter
Wes Anderson, Noah Baumbach
Distributor
Buena Vista Pictures
Production Co
Touchstone Pictures, Scott Rudin Productions
Rating
R (Partial Nudity|Language|Some Drug Use|Violence)
Genre
Comedy
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Dec 25, 2004, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Jan 1, 2014
Box Office (Gross USA)
$24.0M
Runtime
1h 58m
Sound Mix
Surround, Dolby SRD, DTS, SDDS
Aspect Ratio
Scope (2.35:1)
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