The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004)

Stale
-impaired in vigor or effectiveness


(See also: The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou)


It appears even Wes Anderson is not immortal. The offbeat genius responsible for the likable Royal Tenenbaums and The Darjeeling Limited misfires here, giving us a film devoid not only of his unique breed of hilarity but also of any reason to be viewed. What is meant to draw us in doesn't, and what is meant to make us laugh simply makes us question whether to get up and leave.

Bill Murray kicks on the autopilot as the washed up celebrity diver/filmmaker Steve Zissou. At the opening of the film, we see a screening of his newest film, during which his close friend and coworker Esteban gets eaten by a jaguar shark. Zissou's delivery of that news in the film is one of the few truly funny parts in The Life Aquatic - it's one of the few moments Murray breaks from his usual deadpan delivery, which - if not as reliable an approach - gives us something new to chortle at. At the post-screening press conference, he announces plans to seek revenge with his crew - Team Zissou - and kill the shark.

This revenge could have been a very enjoyable film-making pursuit, but instead comes off as a collection of wasted opportunities that get progressively worse as the film goes on. At one point, Team Zissou attempts to steal a myriad of expensive scientific equipment from Steve's rival, Alistair Hennessey (Jeff Goldblum, whose talent truly goes to waste), tripping the alarms in the process. What could have been a funny scramble against time, collecting anything and everything in sight comes and goes as two minutes of film we'd be better off without. A similar subplot situation with a pirate attack could have provided a spark to save the movie, but what we get is a bunch of explosions without any real added substance.

If anything keeps you watching, it's the technical aspects of the film. The production design is one of the few truly compelling parts of the movie, with both the on-location scenery and set filming particularly admirable. And through it all, the soundtrack - a collection of world-music adaptations of David Bowie songs - never fails to impress.

Unfortunately, that's just one piece of the pie, and a small one at that. The rest of The Life Aquatic is either untapped potential, wasted opportunities or some combination of both. The film takes "stale" to a new level, and should be viewed at one's own risk. Take heed; you've been warned.

1 star out of 4
2.5/10