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The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou

Play trailer Poster for The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou R,  2004,  1h 58m,  Comedy/ Romance/ Action/ Adventure/ Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Stream Now Watchlist 57% 224 Reviews Tomatometer 82% 100,000+ Ratings Popcornmeter
57% Tomatometer 224 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

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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) Apr 1, 2019
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. Go to Full Review
Anthony Quinn Independent (UK) Apr 1, 2019
How much of this will work for you depends on your appetite for the picturesquely dysfunctional. Go to Full Review
Peter Bradshaw Guardian Apr 1, 2019
3/5
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. Go to Full Review
Sarah Ward Concrete Playground Oct 16, 2025
Will always be Anderson's undersung gem. It's so quintessentially Anderson and, with its length, it's guilty of sprawling — but every absurdist moment is a marvel. Go to Full Review
Nick Rogers Midwest Film Journal Nov 9, 2023
3.5/4
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. Go to Full Review
Matt Brunson Film Frenzy Feb 8, 2023
3/4
It may be impossible to love The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou, but it's remarkably easy to drown in its sea of eccentricity. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Hermione Mar 8, 2019 Dark Humour, Murray at his best
Feb 24, 2019 A character study in faux documentary style, with nice but low brow effects, the whole thing is a tad too weird for me.
Theodore W Dec 6, 2018 How DARE anyone underrate this gem. I demand to see that tomato unsmooshed. The best. Underrated masterpiece and if you dont know now you know. See more
Hagrid R Nov 11, 2018 A somewhat over dramatic plot with not enough intrigue to keep me fully entertained.
Draco M Nov 5, 2018 is surprisingly a heartbreaking tale.. The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou Anderson's, probably, the first asymmetric and a bit "street" world runs on pathos ideology and is surprisingly a heartbreaking tale. It doesn't suggest in any way that it isn't funny. The awkward silent pitches are more hilarious than the conversations itself. As always Anderson dives into the details like no other, he informs you everything about everyone, from characteristics of the characters to the geographic tour that he is about to take through the entire feature, from the mood set in an environment to what the characters are thinking, everything favors in on his side. With plethora of characters at helm, he charges at you from the first frame with complete awareness and control over them. Despite of having these many characters, their sub-plots are still eerily fresh and ironical to the core. Anderson is unflinchingly delivering smart and competent storytelling along with Baumbach, his co-writer. The screenplay is gripping and adaptive with a layered thought-provoking metaphorical concept residing amidst all one-liners. None of the gags in here are sketchy, the makers aren't trying too hard to draw out a chuckle from the viewers. Murray on the throne, is firm and convincing, no matter what his character might suggest, he cracks you up and he melt you down, his range is too wide to fit in the frame. Wilson in his parallel role is hilarious and eerily calm, as he always is. Blanchett on the other hand, seems like is underused, still she is aptly on mark. Goldblum and Gambon aren't that impressive in here, they fail to cast their anticipated spell. Fortunately, the real game changer is Dafoe, he is flat out charming in his role. He is comfortable, he makes you comfortable, his emotionally driven character is perfectly filled in by him. His sub-plot is the strongest among all. The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou is the least Anderson movie, and yet scream his presence on screen from head to toe. See more
Han M Jun 28, 2018 Even if, among Wes Anderson films, this is probably the one I liked the least, "The life aquatic with Steve Zissou" is still a good movie, still worth watching! See more
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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, Romance, Action, Adventure, Drama
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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