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MOVIES / ON DVD / THE LIFE AQUATIC WITH STEVE ZISSOU
The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou

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The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou (2004)

52%
71%
78%
N/A
N/A
N/A
52 %
Reviews Counted: 166 Fresh: 86  Rotten:80 Average Rating: 5.9/10
 
Consensus: The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou is getting soaked by many critics, who call it smug, ironic and artificial. Still, others have praised the movie’s sheer uniqueness, eccentricity and whimsy.
 

How does the Tomatometer work?

The Tomatometer measures the percentage of positive reviews from Approved Tomatometer Critics for a certain movie.[-]

Rated: 15

Runtime: 1 hr 58 mins

Theatrical Release: 18-02-2005

Synopsis: In Wes Anderson's THE LIFE AQUATIC, a group of oceanic explorers who call themselves Team Zissou embark on a journey to hunt down the "jaguar shark" that ate one of their crew members (Seymour Cassel). Determined to avenge the death of his dear friend, team leader Steve Zissou (Bill Murray) is... In Wes Anderson's THE LIFE AQUATIC, a group of oceanic explorers who call themselves Team Zissou embark on a journey to hunt down the "jaguar shark" that ate one of their crew members (Seymour Cassel). Determined to avenge the death of his dear friend, team leader Steve Zissou (Bill Murray) is melancholic about the journey he's about to make. Meanwhile, financial troubles and nostalgia for his past make Zissou behave like a reckless playboy, an aging softie, and a past-his-prime tyrant. Surrounding Zissou are a hodgepodge of eccentrics--a pregnant journalist doing a magazine feature (Cate Blanchett), an airline pilot from Kentucky who claims he is Zissou's son (Owen Wilson), an emotionally needy European (Willem Dafoe), an acoustic guitarist who sings David Bowie songs in Portuguese (Seu Jorge), Zissou's brilliant wife (Anjelica Houston), and her ex-husband who is Zissou's seafaring nemesis (Jeff Goldblum). Clad in baby-blue polyester uniforms, Addidas sneakers, and red stocking caps, Team Zissou is a sight to see. And as their deep-sea adventure takes them into dangerous waters where they are attacked by pirates and dazzled by CGI fish, the group finds magic both in their bonds to each other and in the colorful world around them. In keeping with Anderson's unique brand of escapist humor, these caricatured characters are nothing short of fascinating. While their lives are extraordinary, they act bored, dwelling on banalities like hurt feelings, jealousy, and loneliness. The more absurd their stories are, the more believable their quirky personalities become. With plenty of hilarious moments offsetting the film's tongue-in-cheek sentimentalism, THE LIFE AQUATIC is sure to please seasoned Anderson fans and make new ones of the uninitiated. [More]

Genre: Comedies

Starring: Bill Murray, Owen Wilson, Cate Blanchett, Anjelica Huston, Willem Dafoe

Director: Wes Anderson
Screenwriter: Wes Anderson, Noah Baumbach
Producer: Barry Mendel, Wes Anderson, Scott Rudin
Composer: Mark Mothersbaugh

DVD Info

Release:

Oct 5, 2005

[DVD Details]

DVD Features:

  • Notes: This release is a New High-Definition digital transfer approved by Director Wes Anderson.
  • Region 1
  • Keep Case
  • Anamorphic Widescreen - 2.35

Audio:

  • Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround - English

Additional Release Material:

  • 10 Deleted Scenes
  • Commentary - 1. Wes Anderson - Director/Noah Baumbach - Co-Writer
  • Featurette - 1. STARZ ON THE SET
  • Trailer - 1. Theatrical Trailer

Interactive Features:

  • Illustrated Menus
  • Additional Products - 1. Reversible Cover

Reviews

 
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N/R

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Full Review | comment Comment
06/24/06
Time Out
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3/5

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04/01/06
Empire Magazine
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3/5

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Full Review | comment Comment
03/07/05
Jonathan Romney
Independent
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93/100

Anderson's ability to deftly flip between whimsy and sentiment remains intact.

Full Review | comment Comment
02/22/05
Shay Casey
FilmFocus
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4/5

Stylish, quirky, enjoyable comedy-drama, with a superb ensemble cast and a terrific soundtrack - this is a treat for fans of Anderson's work, although the uninitiated may be less impressed.

Full Review | comment Comment
02/19/05
Matthew Turner
ViewLondon
N/R

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Full Review | comment Comment
02/15/05
BBC
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N/R

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Full Review | comment Comment
12/18/04
Rich Cline
Shadows on the Wall
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2/4

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Full Review | comment Comment
12/27/07
Joe Lozito
Big Picture Big Sound
Ratings Image
5/5

Wes Anderson creates a highly stylized and peculiar world, which either works for you or it doesn't. It works for me beautifully...

Full Review | comment Comment
09/24/07
Rob Gonsalves
eFilmCritic.com
Ratings Image
3.5/5

full review in Greek

Full Review | comment Comment
10/03/06
Joseph Proimakis
Movies for the Masses
Ratings Image
80/100

A film I'll be able to return in years hence and have lovely waves of happiness wash over me.

Full Review | comment Comment
06/28/06
Dan Jardine
Cinemania
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2.5/5

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Full Review | comment Comment
12/06/05
Film Threat
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N/R

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Full Review | comment Comment
09/26/05
Onion AV Club
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6/10

magnificent display of talents not weaved into coherent story

Full Review | comment Comment
08/31/05
Dragan Antulov
Draxblog Movie Reviews
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B

Has a quiet comical edginess that reflects the poignancy of the situation and the characters.

Full Review | comment Comment
08/14/05
Dennis Schwartz
Ozus' World Movie Reviews
N/R

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07/21/05
Houston Chronicle
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4.5/5

Expect the absurd, the bizarre, the sweet, and the occasionally surreal, and you'll probably have a darn good time with The Life Aquatic.

Full Review | comment Comment
05/25/05
Scott Weinberg
DVD Clinic
N/R

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Full Review | comment Comment
05/24/05
Rumsey Taylor
Not Coming to a Theater Near You
N/R

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Full Review | comment Comment
05/20/05
Stephen Hunter
Washington Post
N/R

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05/13/05
Sydney Morning Herald
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