The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (The Criterion Collection) DVD Review (Bill Murray) Empire Movies

THE LIFE AQUATIC WITH STEVE ZISSOU (THE CRITERION COLLECTION) DVD REVIEW

The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (The Criterion Collection)
(Buena Vista Home Entertainment)

The Movie

The Extras

Reviewed by

7/10

9.5/10

Liam

To be honest, I expected more out of this movie. Maybe I'll have to watch it a couple of more times to really appreciate it. Being a huge fan of Rushmore and especially The Royal Tenenbaums (which is among my favorite movies of the last few years), I watched the development of this one closely hate to say it, but this one just didn't live up to my own self-built hype. Again, maybe it will age a little better on my DVD shelf. Only time will tell.

In a nutshell, the movie tells the story of oceanographer/filmmaker Steve Zissou who, in the midst of a mid-life crisis, sets out on a quest to destroy the mysterious "jaguar shark" that killed his partner. Along the way they face some comic (and some not-so-comic) misadventures. This is the "Criterion Collection" edition of the DVD. So, you can rest assured that the features here are well worth the price of the DVD.

Starting on Disc One, you'll find the movie (be sure to watch with the superior DTS track if you have the setup), an audio commentary by director/co-writer Wes Anderson and co-writer Noah Baumbach, a "Starz on the Set" featurette, some deleted scenes and the film's trailer. OF these, be sure to check out the audio commentary. Although I was a bit annoyed at all the background noise (it almost sounds as if the commentary was recorded on a busy street corner), the two give a lively and insightful discussion on every aspect of the movie and its production. The 'Starz' featurette is your standard behind-the-scenes stuff looking at the story, cast, the director, the sets and the effects. The cut scenes were all great, but really could've benefitted from an audio commentary.

Exploring the second disc, we find a series of great features taking a complete look at the making of the movie. They include "Photos" (a photo gallery from the shoot), "The Look Aquatic" (production designer Mark Friedberg discussing creating the world of Steve Zissou), "Creating a Scene" (on the set of the movie with director Anderson and a few of the actors and they discuss Anderson's filmmaking process), "Mark Mothersbaugh" (an interview with the film's composer), "Mondo Monda" (an Italian TV show interview with Anderson and Baumbach), "Seu Jorge Performs David Bowie" (some David Bowie songs in Portuguese), "Aquatic Life" (looking at the visual effects), "Esteban" (following Seymour Cassel who plays 'Esteban' in the film), "This is an Adventure" (a behind-the-scenes documentary), an "Intern Video Journal" (a documentary filmed by one of the interns in the movie), "Designs" (a gallery of design art), "Ned" (focusing on the character played by Owen Wilson), "Costumes" (self-explanatory) and finally "Jane" (looking at the Cate Blanchett character). Of everything here, I'd really have to recommend the two documentaries. They are both in-depth and quite well done and best of all provide a fantastic look not at the movie, but at the everyday movie-making process.

I can't really fault the movie. It's not that there was anything wrong with it - it was all my fault that I didn't enjoy it. And really, I look forward to the opportunity to revisit the movie and give it another chance. That's a compliment, isn't it?

Features
New High-Definition Digital Transfer, Deleted Scenes, Audio Commentary By Director Wes Anderson And Co-Writer Noah Baumbach, Original Theatrical Trailer, “Starz On The Set” Behind-The-Scenes Featurette, Creating A Scene, This Is An Adventure Documentary, Video Journal Of An On-The-Set Intern, Seu Jorge Musical Performances, Mondo Monda Featurette, Interview With Composer Mark Mothersbaugh, Ned Plimpton Featurette, Jane Winslett-Richardson Featurette, Esteban Du Plantier Featurette, The Look Aquatic, Aquatic Life, Designs Gallery

Video
Widescreen

Audio
Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound, DTS 5.1 Surround Sound

Subtitles
English, French, Spanish, Closed-Captioned

Release Date
May 10, 2005

Rating
R

Length
118 mins.

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