The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004)

Oh would you look at that, a yellow submarine!

Genre: Adventure Comedy Drama

Starring: Bill Murray (Broken Flowers; What About Bob), Owen Wilson (The Wedding Crashers; Shanghai Noon)

Directed By: Wes Anderson (Rushmore; The Royal Tenenbaums)

Overview: A Cousteau-style Marine researcher hunts after the shark that ate his partner. Along the way he is re-united with his son, who joins him for the ride.

Acting: The cast is all star, so as you can expect, it's a well done production. The direction is strange at times, but you soon find out that this is the mood of the film. Murray is funny as always. Seems his humour is more subtle these days, since Lost in Translation.
Rating: 8

Cinematography: Big budgets make for experienced cameramen and art directors, but this film had some really great additions. CGI fish and 70s style low-budge Cousteau documentary clips throughout give it a nice weird feel. I really liked the part where they have a cut out of the ship, and they go through explaining what each section is for, and now and again, they re-use this set. Point being: very original.
Rating: 9

Script: The script is weird. It's well written, the continuity is there, but the lines aren't really laugh out loud hilarious, it's more on of those quirky intellectual comedies, kinda like I Heart Huckabees, though there's no science lesson, it's all fantasy.
Rating: 7

Plot: The plot is pretty solid, A touch of Moby Dick vengeance, with some family strife thrown in, and some good action, which was hilarious. The end really comes together and there's just enough drama to entertain us plot seekers.
Rating: 8

Mood: The mood was the whole movie. Every scene had some quirky oddity about it, and the adventure was fantastical throughout. Be careful though, this is not the kind of comedy that will keep you in stitches.
Rating: 9

It's sad being a neglected killer whale, doing all you can to get attention...

Overall Rating: 82% (You'll Be Immersed)

Aftertaste: The Life Aquatic is a safe bet if you're over 25 and looking for the exact opposite of American Pie. It's a good story and digs a little at the subtler parts of your brain, creating synaptic burn-in in some of those un-used areas of your mind. Hence, it'll stick with you for a good while.