Once upon a time, Steve Zissou was a famed oceanographer. After a string, (and I mean a really, really long string), of documentaries, he falls from grace and is outshone by competitors with expensive, new technology and a budget that eclipses his own. While working on a documentary, Zissou's confidante is attacked and killed by an elusive Jaguar Shark that may not exist. Intent on revenge, Zissou states that his next project is to track down that murderous beast and kill it. Maybe with dynamite. All on tape. What follows is a quirky, unpredictable and at times completely nutso adventure involving a quiet pilot from Kentucky who may or may not Zissou's son, a topless script girl, a musician who sings David Bowie classics in Portuguese, and, well, pirates.

a Wes Anderson fan, a fan of quirky movies, or a fan of completely gorgeous visuals.

the music. The Portuguese renditions of David Bowie songs really stole the show for me. The entire score really highlights the quirk here.

some lack of editing. There are a few scenes scattered about that leaves you wondering why they were even included in the final draft.

is probably the most appealing part of this movie. Owen Wilson is his typical, loveable, every-man, while Bill Murray plays a man with enough layers to make you wonder if he has any at all. Jeff Goldblum knocks out gems like, "I'm part gay", with perfect delivery, while Cate Blanchett is the level-head that helps keep this crazy cookoo-fest a-float. Willem Dafoe gives a great performance, as well.

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Created Aug 20, 2010 at 6:47am • Submit your own review...