The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou Details

How you react to The Life Aquatic will depend on what you thought of director Wes Anderson's other films. He certainly hasn't learned any new tricks — this odd drama exists in the same strange, whimsical world as Rushmore or The Royal Tenenbaums. It's centred on famous oceanographer Steve Zissou (played by Bill Murray and obviously inspired by marine pioneer Jacques Cousteau), who embarks on a Moby Dick-style quest to hunt and kill the mysterious sea creature that ate his best friend. Sadly, Murray doesn't have the same edgy energy as Gene Hackman, who played the irresponsible father in Tenenbaums; indeed he's so laid-back he sometimes seems to be asleep. But there's great support from Owen Wilson as Zissou's (apparently) long-lost son and Jeff Goldblum as a richer, better-equipped rival oceanographer. For some, Anderson's world is too hermetically sealed and downright strange to be affecting; for others, there's an irresistible charm to his eccentric characters. Whatever your conclusions, if you think you might enjoy David Bowie songs performed in Portuguese, this film is for you.

Curious disjointed comedy that rambles from one setpiece to another without anything particular in mind; incidents come and go in such a desultory manner that it is as if the cast made it up as they went along.