The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou 2004
Directed by Wes Anderson · 119 mins · 1,771 views
Synopsis
Trailers
Reviews (105)
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“In twelve years, he’ll be eleven and a half.” To me, this is Wes Anderson’s masterpiece, but not until this viewing did I realize how much I truly adore it. (what angelic planet did Cate Blanchett come from?) And yes, this really is an adventure, Mr. Zissou.
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it’s about time we stop kidding ourselves and start accepting the irrefutable fact that Willem Dafoe is the best supporting actor in the history of cinema
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i didn’t even know that cate blanchett was in this and when she showed up i was like “oh my god! that’s cate blanchett!” what a nice surprise
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That fucking Jaguar shark scene with that fucking Sigur Rós music with those fucking gorgeous visuals… Fuck you Wes Anderson for making me cry at Bill Murray looking at a fish! It’s one of my favorite scenes ever. My Wes Anderson tribute video
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if a movie contains a brazilian man singing his own covers of david bowie songs whilst wearing a red beanie and also being directed by my main bitch, wes anderson, it gets an automatic four stars rating from me
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willem dafoe in short pants and a red beanie running around & scolding people with a bad german accent is what i call a Good Creative Decision
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K
Wes’ most underappreciated, for so many reasons. Will be talking about them on the next episode of The Karstcast, available wherever you get your podcasts.
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this movie felt like a dream before waking up for school, i love it
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El en realidad no quería encontrar al monstruo. Cuando lo encuentran dice: Spoiler – ES PRECIOSO!!! – AUN SE ACORDARA DE MI? Solo quería comprensión
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J
The scene where the camera follows Ned and Steve through the boat as they argue is just peak Wes Anderson!! I loved the Portuguese David Bowie covers. I like the small moment of Steve wanting to rescue Cody (who belongs to his enemies) even though he’s willing to kill the jaguar shark.
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K
I loved all of the animated animals, including the back flipping frogs
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My new favourite Bill Murray film
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If I had a nickel for every Mockumentary that is one of my favourite Movies, I would have two. Which isn’t a lot but it’s weird that there are two
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I wonder if it remembers me
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Encounter with highly abnormal shark-like fish! Ten meters in length! Unfamiliar dorsal features! Spots all over it! I shot it dorsally with a homing dart! Esteban was eaten.
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🦎💨 -~~—-____ 👌
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Jaguar fish was cool
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Fan visste nt vi hade Jaguar-hajar som ser ut så där, sjukt att man lär sig nått nytt varje dag. Hoppas man får se en sån en vacker dag
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puta madre porq mataron a mi marido
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R
This is one of the big three (mine) Wes Anderson movies. 🐬🪸🪼🦀🐟
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seu jorge playing queen bitch in portuguese, yes sing me to sleep *bonus se faire jouer dans les cheveux pendant
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OceanGate core
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Cried
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11m3an 8 月 21, 2026
Flera glada överraskningar som David Bowie och Matthew gray gubbler
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I’m just going to say it, this is my favorite Wes Anderson. I’m not sure what that says about me.
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If I had a nickel for every time I was jumpscared by a Filipino organization doing illegal things in American media If I was also half gay what then
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very charming, very wes anderson remind me never to get on a helicopter
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I don’t know, maybe I didn’t enjoy it as much because I was already pissed and not in the mood for a movie, but this didn’t feel very Wes Andersonie. And I don’t know I was hoping so much (cause of Murray) but got left a bit unsatisfied. (Cool thing was Bowie)
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gli insulti e le parolacce mi hanno fatto morire. Comunque film di wes meno di wes che abbia visto fino ad ora
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C
The charm is definitely there, but it felt like nothing happened by the time I finished the movie.
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Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou Wes’s darkest, most miserable, emotionally and character complex film to date, but it offers such a bright light. It follows Steve Zissou, played by Bill Murray and is his best acting performance ever. He’s the most dickish Anderson character yet, but the his struggle with life and desire for change allows us to sympathize and root for him. It’s a film that explores the unjust absurdity of life, how it can spoil a person when…
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A forma com que o Wes faz cinema me intriga, nao canso nunca
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all the best parts happened on land didn’t really vibe with it until the last half hour
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I thought they’d be in the submarine more.
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its wes anderson
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A funny and touching movie starring Bill Murray, Willem Dafoe, Owen wilson and Cate Blanchett with multiple portuguese David Bowie covers AND directed by Wes Anderson is the type of movie you would find at the gates of heaven.
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Un tratamiento lento pero entretenido que llega un punto que no sabes muy bien que ocurre, pero que impacta emocionalmente, una vida que ya no es lo que era, la caída de la ilusión y el futuro pero que encuentra algo que ni siquiera sabes si existe o no se.
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we got him Esteban 👆
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Peculiar pero divertido
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The entire documentary comes crashing down. Meanwhile Pelé: 🗣️🎶🎸
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Felt a little lonely today, so I decided to rewatch this gem. It’s so, so good, and it made me feel so much better ;). I hear and see people assume that Wes Anderson’s movies are all style and less plot, but I disagree with that a million times over. I’ve loved Wes Anderson’s movies for a very long time. In fact, I mentioned Fantastic Mr. Fox in the first few sentences of my college essay! Without fail, every single…
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Wes Anderson just does not miss, him an Noah Baumbach are easily some of the most brilliant writers today, masters of subtext, with such unnerving control over tone and portraying humanity. They have this way with developing deeply flawed anti-hero main characters that are always so brilliantly constructed and acted. For how devastating and beautifully set up the final act of this film is, it does take a little bit to get into; I felt a little detached and some…
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Glock 19
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Al principio no entendí y al final tampoco pero el perrito 🤍 (y todo es precioso en las películas de Wes Anderson)
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Alle karakterene er så rare og stakkarslige, men også veldig søte. All musikken er David Bowie på portugisisk. Veldig morsom i tillegg. Positivt overrasket!
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AAdam Howard 8 月 21, 2026
That this one was really really good. Might be my favorite bill murray performance outside of ghostbusters
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7.6/10 Criterion Challenge 2026 #12. Judge a film by its cover – Watch a film whose cover art caught your eye Is this my espresso machine? Where did you get my espresso machine? We fuckin stole it man
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Als ich klein war, liefen am Wochenende oft die Dokumentarfilme von Kommandant Cousteau, der mit seinem Schiff, der Calypso, die Tiefe erforschte. Mit der für ihn typischen künstlichen Ästhetik bedient sich Wes Anderson der popkulturellen Legende, um die Geschichte eines alternden Mannes zu erzählen, der auf sein Leben zurückblickt und sich nicht wiedererkennnt. Seine Filme werden zunehmend von der Kritik abgelehnt. In dem letzten berichtet er vom tragischen Tod seines Freundes und Geschäftspartners, gefressen von einer bisher unbekannten Art von…
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it hurts me to say this but i didn’t fell as charmed as i usually feel with wes anderson films. it was pleasant however to see matthew gray gubler somewhere in the back
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we are not real friends if we don’t wear matching shorts and red beanies ok
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It’s hard for me to get into Wes Anderson movies that aren’t the animated ones but this one was pretty good and theJaguar shark scene was wholesome
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No solo la peli es grandiosa si no que está llena de temas de David Bowie en portugués
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The jaguar shark scene and Ned still gets me! Tear shedding!! The music will always be so good When I went to the Wes Anderson exhibit in London recently, I got to see the big jaguar shark prop in all of its glory… 🥹 and all the other little sea creatures, and some props and costumes too! It was all so awesome and certainly fun to see in person, it really brought everything to life. I’ll always appreciate the color story in this movie, and the art too. Also the whole view of all the rooms in the Belafonte !
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A better Wes
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dreht den hayley willams song dazu auf und packt den scoobasuit aus ich erkläre damit das des gewässer sicher ist🧜🏻♀️🧜🏻♀️🧜🏻♀️🧜🏻♀️ der orca im hintergrund hat die beste zeit seines lebens er genießt es das ist so spaßig. „i hate fathers i didn’t want to be one“ ist vielleicht die kälteste zeile überhaupt :(. liebe es wie david bowie erwähnt wurde und dann noch die deepcuts. das hat es maximal besser gemacht als es ohnehin bereits war. frage mich wieviel die…
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With how much Below Deck I’ve been watching, it’s extremely fitting that this was my next Wes Anderson to watch. I also got the criterion for $1 at half price books! Talk about a steal!
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The overall visual style doesn’t quite hit the same as it does in Wes Anderson’s top tier films, although there are moments where it really charmed me, the initial tour of the boat and the climax with the jaguar shark. I did love the set design specifically, that really contributed a lot to Anderson’s signature sense of whimsey. The dry humour is here in spades too, and it worked very well because of how strong the heart of the film…
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The ONLY WA movie I’ve never been able to watch. I’ve fallen asleep at the same time every time I’ve tried to watch it. I’m 0/7 and I wish I was exaggerating.
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Unsurprisingly filled with good one liners
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i wonder if it remembers me. i really wish i liked this one more because i really resonate with movies that explore being both in search of, and in hiding from, the Self
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Whoever that was jamming throughout this with the guitar is inspiring to me I want to sing and play music on a big boat or maybe a little boat I think either way
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Que voy a decir de este tío, Me encantaría formar parte del maravilloso grupo de frikis marinos de Steve Zissou y llevar un gorrito rojo como todos. Como va a ser esta su peor película??? Hay un brasileño tocando David Bowie y todos los personajes tienen daddy issues. Además el pavo se solea a 20 piratas filipinos con una pipa de balas infinitas, dime algo más épico. Por no hablar del William Dafoe en pantalones cortos, menudo sex symbol. Es…
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Massively underrated, largely misunderstood at release, Life Aquatic is immaculate
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“In 12 years, he‘ll be 11 and a half“
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Gets better every watch.
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EEthan Sabourin 8 月 20, 2026
I first saw The Life Aquatic at my family cottage when I was probably less than 10 years old. The profuse swearing was indelibly seared into my brain. It doesn’t hit the same crazy eye-opening notes as an adult (rewatched sometime in the last 2 years) but it’s still a great movie!
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wow i actually really enjoyed this movie. between matthew gray gubler, the david bowie soundtrack, wilem dafoe in shorts, weird animation, and sick set design, this is definitely up there for me not my fav wes anderson overall, but easily in my top 3 i’ve been holding this one off for years im glad i was finally able to see it
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i felt like I was high on heroin during this whole movie
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APEX MOUNTAIN FOR: • PISS TESTS
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more glocks than i expected going in.
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il finale è strepitoso
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That´s an endangered species at most. What woukld be the scientific purpose of killing it? Revenge.
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Stop motion, oceanography, and Sigur Ros save what was shaping up to be quite a boring film.
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points off for not playing yellow submarine by the beatles
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Steve Zissou is Bojack Horseman if he were a sea life documentarian. Points off for this movie because of the amount of homophobic slurs in the dialogue, points added to this movie for the adorable three legged dog and the cool stop motion fish.
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The best Wes. Everything works for me. It’s like the Big Lebowski of his movies, each rewatch is more rewarding
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Sure, the Wes Anderson charm is there, but this film has some serious pacing issues. The large ensemble cast actually weighs this down. I wanted more from various side characters, especially when they’re expertly casted by great actors. The unpaid interns bit is funny, but I could have used half of the “crew” and more focus on Willem Dafoe’s character, or Jeff Goldblum’s character. Way too long and slow for my tastes.
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“Let me tell you about my ship.” Damn, this film looks good.
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There aren’t, in my opinion, just good films and bad films. Some films are just a journey, they tell a story and due to the nature of the story after completion regardless of quality (filmmaking, acting, music etc.) it isn’t something you will revisit too often. “Oppenheimer” would be an example of this for me. There is another type however, a film that you revisit not for the story or soundtrack, but just to spend more time with the characters.…
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mi piace tantissimo come in tutti i film di wes anderson emerga sempre il valore della famiglia o quella che noi consideriamo tale
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It’s just such an entertaining movie from start to finish with its classic characters, story, and dialogue by the genius of weirdness Wes Anderson. I started this years ago and turned it off for some reason but now I realize this is actually really fire and I like it a lot. Some of the characters I liked the most must have been Bill Murray and Willem Dafoe. Hot take but I found Owen Wilson a little difficult to care about…
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Me quiero comprar los Adidas Zissou
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Ccarter 8 月 19, 2026
gf is sick so we watched movies all day. she asked me to bring wes anderson movies from the library bc she’s never seen them before. this is still a good time that has a hard time really working for me emotionally in its final moments. the ring part works great, but the scene in the sub just feels a little bit hollow, even if the line is great.
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I think either im lost or i missed something the story didnt quite click with me for some dumb reason i think maybe i just couldnt gaf i was far too invested in that jaguar shark situation to deal with all that other stuff going on also. Visual beautibootiness was absolutely god sent the use of stop motion over digital stuff was a dream the crayon ponyfish love that little fellow sososo much!!!! New embodiment of what i wish i was. Spiritually physically everything thats my everything. Thank you
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Never thought Owen Wilson would make me cry.
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Quero tatuar o jaguar shark
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This has everything I need : the usual Wes Anderson Family Feels (™), Willem Dafoe in silly little shorts, shirtless Jeff Golblum, David Bowie but in Portuguese; and of course : Cate Blanchett
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Liked the actors and I do enjoy Anderson’s aesthetic. Not long after watching I couldn’t really tell you much about what the movie was about though. My GF really likes Wes Anderson and thought this would be a better pick for me, but didn’t live up to her hype. It had its good moments though.
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This is a heart-y We’d Anderson film. There were some parts I really enjoyed – particularly the relationship between Wilson and Murray – as well as the emotional resolution with the jaguar shark. The use of Bowie in Portuguese for the soundtrack gave the film a unique audio identity which I enjoyed. The stop motion animation of the fish by Henry Sellick was almost a nod back to the Ray Harryhausen era of mixing stop motion and live action. There…
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Mmla 8 月 13, 2026
i absolutely loved this film and i had tried to watch it before but didnt make it very far so im very very glad i suggested it at the cottage i absolutely loved the little sea creatures and rhe cinematography was so beautiful and just eye catching esp with the red beanies against the sea omg i love i almost love life aquatic as much as i do asteroid city
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A parody of the French diver Jacques Cousteau. In Wes Anderson’s 2004 film we see Bill Murray as an oceanographer who takes his crew on a revenge mission against a jaguar shark that killed his partner. We have fun performances from Bill Murray, Owen Wilson, Cate Blanchett, Willem Dafoe and pretty much every other star you’d expect to be in an Anderson film. My problem with Wes Anderson is that sometimes he gets so up his own ass and so…
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“Is this my espresso machine? Wh-what is- H-How did you get my espresso machine?” “Well uh, we fuckin stole it, man”.
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Only Wes would spend most of the movie listening to some random guy playing Bowie. In portugese.
- Synopsis
- Renowned oceanographer Steve Zissou has sworn vengeance upon the rare shark that devoured a member of his crew. In addition to his regular team, he is joined on his boat by Ned, a man who believes Zissou to be his father, and Jane, a journalist pregnant by a married man. They travel the sea, all too often running into pirates and, perhaps more traumatically, various figures from Zissou's past, including his estranged wife, Eleanor.
- Director
- Wes Anderson
- Writer
- Wes Anderson, Noah Baumbach
- Studio
- American Empirical Pictures, Touchstone Pictures
- Country
- USA
- Language
- English, Icelandic, Portuguese, French
- Year
- 2004
- Runtime
- 119 mins
- USA20 Nov 2004
- USA10 Dec 2004
- USA25 Dec 2004
- Australia12 Jan 2005
- Germany15 Feb 2005
- UK17 Feb 2005
- Brazil18 Feb 2005
- Ireland25 Feb 2005
- Netherlands03 Mar 2005
- France09 Mar 2005
- Japan07 May 2005
- Finland13 May 2005
- Switzerland04 Mar 2005
- Poland11 Mar 2005
- Austria17 Mar 2005
- Hungary24 Mar 2005
- South Korea07 Jul 2021
- Belgium10 Dec 2004
- Netherlands28 Sep 2005
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