Mad Dog Movie Reviews

The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou (2004)

(3 Mad Dogs)

Directed by: Wes Anderson (Bottle Rocket)

Starring: Bill Murray (The voice of Garfield from the 2004 hit movie, Garfield) as Steve Zissou and Owen Wilson (from the Minus Man) as Ned Plimpton.

Life Aquatic is another quirky movie from Wes Anderson. It is the story of a washed up Jacques Cousteau who has just lost his friend to the never before seen Jaguar Shark during the filming of his newest movie. At the showing of this movie he vows revenge on the shark will happen in his next movie. The only problem is that his films have been doing so badly that he can not get funding for the next movie. This is fixed as he meets Ned, a man who believes that Steve is his father and who has money to help him make his movie and get his revenge.

This is just an odd movie. The music is bizarre as it is mostly David Bowie songs done in Portuguese? The special effects or over the top in terribleness, its almost as if you Ray Harryhausen came back from the dead to do them, oh wait he is shockingly still alive (love your work Mr. Harryhausen). The characters themselves are just weird, with Willem Dafoe taking the cake as Steve’s right-hand man. These only go to help the movie though as it was an enjoyable comedy/drama that you would know is from Wes Anderson even if his name wasn’t on it.

To wrap up, if you like strange movies and Wes Anderson I would say go see this but don’t expect another Rushmore or Royal Tenenbaums.