# The Life Aquatic **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 13, 2006, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-life-aquatic/344203 "2006-02-13T02:24:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Werd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/4491bb/32.png) [@Werd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Werd)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2006, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-life-aquatic/344203/1 "2006-02-13T02:24:21Z")
Have you seen this movie? I watched this movie three times today. Am I a nerd or is this movie brilliant or both? I’m now in search of a red cap. Bill Murray has been a favorite of mine since SNL. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2006, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-life-aquatic/344203/2 "2006-02-13T02:27:42Z")
I love this movie a lot. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2006, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-life-aquatic/344203/3 "2006-02-13T02:30:52Z")
I saw it once. I guess I was expecting something funny, but I wasn’t overly impressed. That’s not to say that it _wasn’t_ funny; it was just more satire, and I was looking for comedy. The coolest thing was the cutaway view of the ship. I have that same illustration in a (fairly rare) book on _Calypso_. I have a red tuque, BTW. I wear it when I’m in the zodiac (also red), or when it’s especially cold. I already had a Navy blue one and a black one, and it was hard to find a red one without a logo and of high quality. So I found a seller on eBay and asked if they could get red tuques with nothing on them. They could and did. I should give _The Life Aquatic_ another chance, now that I know what to expect. ---
**Author:** ![Werd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/4491bb/32.png) [@Werd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Werd)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2006, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-life-aquatic/344203/4 "2006-02-13T02:52:19Z")
> [@Johnny L.A.](#): > > I saw it once. I guess I was expecting something funny, but I wasn’t overly impressed. That’s not to say that it _wasn’t_ funny; it was just more satire, and I was looking for comedy. The coolest thing was the cutaway view of the ship. I have that same illustration in a (fairly rare) book on _Calypso_. > > I have a red tuque, BTW. I wear it when I’m in the zodiac (also red), or when it’s especially cold. I already had a Navy blue one and a black one, and it was hard to find a red one without a logo and of high quality. So I found a seller on eBay and asked if they could get red tuques with nothing on them. They could and did. > > I should give _The Life Aquatic_ another chance, now that I know what to expect. I felt the same way when I first rented and watched this movie. As you were, I wasn’t overly impressed either but what was confusing to me is that didn’t stop me from buying the DVD. It sat on my shelf for months until I watched it again this morning. Then, I watched it again… and again. Give it another play. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2006, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-life-aquatic/344203/5 "2006-02-13T03:03:28Z")
I found it disappointing. It had moments but not enough. ---
**Author:** ![Tarrsk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/97f17d/32.png) [@Tarrsk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tarrsk)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2006, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-life-aquatic/344203/6 "2006-02-13T03:13:54Z")
Love this movie. As a marine biology geek who grew up reading everything Jacques Cousteau, I got a huge kick out of the concept of claymation , and the script and performances are both hilarious (in an off-kilter fashion) and curiously poignant. Pretty much par for the course for a Wes Anderson flick- and honestly, this is probably his \*weakest \*work. Both “Rushmore” and “The Royal Tenenbaums,” his previous movies (I haven’t seen "Bottle Rocket yet, though I hear it’s great as well), are modern classics. ---
**Author:** ![Werd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/4491bb/32.png) [@Werd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Werd)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2006, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-life-aquatic/344203/7 "2006-02-13T03:19:13Z")
> [@Tarrsk](#): > > Love this movie. As a marine biology geek who grew up reading everything Jacques Cousteau, I got a huge kick out of the concept of claymation , and the script and performances are both hilarious (in an off-kilter fashion) and curiously poignant. Pretty much par for the course for a Wes Anderson flick- and honestly, this is probably his \*weakest \*work. Both “Rushmore” and “The Royal Tenenbaums,” his previous movies (I haven’t seen "Bottle Rocket yet, though I hear it’s great as well), are modern classics. So next on my list of movies to rent are Rushmore and Bottle Rocket… I’ve seen The Royal Tenenbaums and liked it. Thanks for the tips. ---
**Author:** ![metonymic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f9b8f/32.png) [@metonymic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/metonymic)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2006, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-life-aquatic/344203/8 "2006-02-13T04:56:22Z")
Just chiming in with: I also love this movie. But I love everything Wes Anderson has done so far… ---
**Author:** ![fluiddruid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@fluiddruid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fluiddruid)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2006, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-life-aquatic/344203/9 "2006-02-13T04:58:39Z")
Frankly, I didn’t like The Life Aquatic. I didn’t particularly care for The Royal Tenenbaums either. My family apparently agreed and ended up turning off The Life Aquatic about a half hour into the movie (after I wandered off). Not my thing, I guess. ---
**Author:** ![smiling\_bandit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2006, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-life-aquatic/344203/10 "2006-02-13T05:02:17Z")
I think the only problem with this movie is its pace. It neded a bit more editing in spots. It’s probably 20 minutes too long. ---
**Author:** ![Werd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/4491bb/32.png) [@Werd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Werd)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2006, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-life-aquatic/344203/11 "2006-02-13T05:03:46Z")
> [@fluiddruid](#): > > Frankly, I didn’t like The Life Aquatic. I didn’t particularly care for The Royal Tenenbaums either. My family apparently agreed and ended up turning off The Life Aquatic about a half hour into the movie (after I wandered off). Not my thing, I guess. …what recent (in the last few years) movie do you think is really good? ---
**Author:** ![Bomzaway](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e480ec/32.png) [@Bomzaway](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bomzaway)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2006, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-life-aquatic/344203/12 "2006-02-13T05:35:17Z")
I loved LIfe Aquatic, but I can certainly understand how some might not. That said, Willem DaFoe’s character just killed me. And the French language acoustic interpretations of all those classic Bowie songs, freakin priceless. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2006, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-life-aquatic/344203/13 "2006-02-13T05:47:07Z")
> [@Bomzaway](#): > > And the French language acoustic interpretations of all those classic Bowie songs, freakin priceless. I think they were in Portuguese. The movie didn’t make me laugh a lot, but I did like it. It felt unique, and the actors, especially Murray, were great. ---
**Author:** ![Werd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/4491bb/32.png) [@Werd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Werd)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2006, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-life-aquatic/344203/14 "2006-02-13T05:53:55Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > I think they were in Portuguese. > > The movie didn’t make me laugh a lot, but I did like it. It felt unique, and the actors, especially Murray, were great. I would consider buying the soundtrack. I am, in fact, a nerd. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2006, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-life-aquatic/344203/15 "2006-02-13T06:28:27Z")
> [@Werd](#): > > So next on my list of movies to rent are Rushmore and Bottle Rocket… Those are Anderson’s best movies, in my opinion. After the first 20 minutes or so of _Life Aquatic_, i was almost ready to walk out of the cinema. I’m glad i stayed, because the movie grew on me as it went along, and i ended up really liking it. I agree that Willem Dafoe’s character was great. Didn’t really like _Royal Tennenbaums_ very much at all. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Big\_Cheese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8baadc/32.png) [@The\_Big\_Cheese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Big_Cheese)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2006, 10:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-life-aquatic/344203/16 "2006-02-13T10:50:42Z")
I saw it saturday. Watched the first 2/3, then fast-forwarded thru it for more shots of Kirsten Dunst. I didn’t get it at all. I didn’t know what was real and what wasn’t, and I hate that in a movie. ---
**Author:** ![cactus\_waltz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@cactus\_waltz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cactus_waltz)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2006, 10:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-life-aquatic/344203/17 "2006-02-13T10:55:57Z")
The Life Aquatic is entertaining and it certainly has a style I would wish more movies today had. It doesn’t rush things and it contains an intelligent satirical undertone throughout. Yes, some moments were weaker than others. But as a whole, I enjoyed it both first and second time I saw it. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Big\_Cheese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8baadc/32.png) [@The\_Big\_Cheese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Big_Cheese)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2006, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-life-aquatic/344203/18 "2006-02-13T12:56:31Z")
> [@The Big Cheese](#): > > I saw it saturday. Watched the first 2/3, then fast-forwarded thru it for more shots of Kirsten Dunst. I didn’t get it at all. I didn’t know what was real and what wasn’t, and I hate that in a movie. [GOB]I’ve made a huge mistake.[/GOB] Note to self: Never post at 4:30am without triple-checking. So I got confused, I was thinking “Eternal Spotless Mind” instead of “Aquatic ….”. Quick someone shoot me! Where’s Dick Cheney?? Haven’t seen Aquatic yet. Carry on. ---
**Author:** ![Grossbottom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ba8739/32.png) [@Grossbottom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grossbottom)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2006, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-life-aquatic/344203/19 "2006-02-13T14:16:51Z")
“I’ve never seen a bond company stooge stick his neck out like that.” I have a Team Zissou t-shirt, but I haven’t tried to find the hat yet. Great film. ---
**Author:** ![Menocchio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de053/32.png) [@Menocchio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Menocchio)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2006, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-life-aquatic/344203/20 "2006-02-13T15:48:35Z")
> [@Tarrsk](#): > > Pretty much par for the course for a Wes Anderson flick- and honestly, this is probably his \*weakest \*work. I disagree. Bottle Rocket, while quite good, was his first film and it showed. Anderson hadn’t found his voice yet. I will say that the Life Aquatic was his most challanging movie and demanded the most out of the audience. Steve has a depressed detatchment that carries through the film, and is easy to confuse with ironic detatchment on Anderson’s part. Like many depressed people, Steve doesn’t wear his problem on his sleeve, and you ahve to pay attention to his character to realize he’s not just wandering zombielike through the scenery. Also, while at it’s heart it’s about a man dealing with depression born from a mid-life crisis and the death of his best friend, it also has the wildest premise of all Anderson’s films. Pirate attacks, stop-motion fish, even the cut-away ship, it has less reality than his other films. I believe Ebert called it a “farce played at the pace of a funeral dirge”. I agree with that, and while I think Anderson pulled it off, I think the audience has to be in the right mood and frame of mind to appreciate it for what it was. Does anyone know what’s up with the Cousteau Foundation and this film? I know they weren’t involved (and there’s a disclaimer and everything), but they even bleep out the word “Cousteau” on the commentary track. Was there a lawsuit? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-life-aquatic/344203.md?page=2)