Trailer for The Life Aquatic, the new
Trailer for The Life Aquatic, the new Wes Anderson movie starring Bill Murray. This is either going to be fantastic or when Wes jumps the shark.
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Reader comments
justinAug 20, 2004 at 3:48PM
i think this movie looks amazing
barlowAug 20, 2004 at 5:07PM
I love all his movies, but I'm especially interested to see the new techniques he will be using in this one - such as the stop-action animation for some undersea creatures. I think his movies have gotten progressively *better*, and I think he has the kind of attention to detail that will pretty much guarantee that it won't be any worse than his earliest movie. Some directors have good instincts and happen to produce good art once in a while, but Anderson seems to combine good instincts with a lot of conscious competence, so he is not as hit and miss.
MattAug 20, 2004 at 6:15PM
I have high hopes for this and think it will be another good one. I saw Napolean Dynomite the other day and as a review at rotten tomatoes put it "it was like seeing a shitty Wes Anderson cover band." When he can make a movie that sparse and lacking of sympathetic characters, then he will have jumped the shark.
I can't wait to see what Willem Dafoe brings to his usual cast of small town texas pals. I love seeing better and better actors join the troupe, it brings out the best in everyone.
GeeAug 20, 2004 at 9:06PM
"Jump the shark?" C'mon, Jason. Even if The Life Aquatic doesn't meet expectations -- even if it is a genuinely poor movie -- does that mean Wes Anderson's capabilities as a filmmaker will be henceforth forever spent? I[m more of the school that there has to be a clear pattern of failure before a shark has been jumped. Or maybe your subtext is that Royal Tennenbaums was sub par...
MarcAug 20, 2004 at 9:40PM
Whew. Royal Tennenbaum *was* sub-par, a triumph more of set-decorated tableaux-age, the great Gene Hackman and trendy Owen Wilson supplied star-cameos than any obvious signature filmmaking. Rushmore did no more for me (Jason Schwartzman did not charm), and against all reason I still hold great hope for Bottle Rocket, his one finished film that I've been wanting to see since it was made.
The man can't jump the shark - he hasn't even been to Arnold's yet.
ericAug 21, 2004 at 5:24AM
I'm not sure how trendy Owen Wilson was, or if he was a 'star-cameo', since he (co-?) wrote the damn thing.
The Life Aquatic looks pretty good. I think Jason just wanted to work in the clever combination of jumping the shark with a shark-hunting movie. ;)
justinAug 21, 2004 at 11:24AM
i'm surprised that rushmore or the royal tennebaums did not do anything for you. i was impressed by the characters in these movies, the dialogue, the cinematography, everything. although, i'm certainly no film student. these movies were great and i think that with bill murray, wes anderson can do no wrong.
SteveAug 21, 2004 at 6:59PM
I was a little bummed out when I realized there would be no movies like Lord of the Rings or Lost in Translation this winter, but now I have something to look forward to. I loved The Royal Tennanbaums and this looks like another great Wes Anderson film. I'm really looking forward to seeing Jeff Goldblum in something that doesn't have dinosaurs or aliens and I look forward to Willam Dafoe too. I like how instead of doing stupid comedies for the rest of his life like some other SNL alums, Bill Murray has found scripts that are smart and funny. Anyway I'm really looking forward to The Life Aquatic.
JohnAug 22, 2004 at 2:18PM
I think Wes Anderson has to be careful. Bottlerocket was a solid first outing that gained some recognition. Rushmore was brilliant and earned him many deserved accolades. Royal Tenenbaums, which seems to be his most popular film, I thought was slightly less spectacular than Rushmore (by which I mean to say, it would be hard to top Rushmore). With this new movie, Anderson has a chance to take his filmmaking to the mainstream (if it isn't there already), and it is possible that he will become an A list director (again, if he is not one already). The film that follows The Life Aquatic would be the one I'd watch out for. But if he's compiled 4 above average/great movies by then, can't we grant him a mulligan or two?
RobinAug 22, 2004 at 3:11PM
ps. It's The Royal Tenenbaums. Only one N.
AaronAug 23, 2004 at 12:04PM
Owen Wilson was anything but a "star" cameo. He's co-written all of Anderson's films until "Life Aquatic" and wasn't even an actor until he did "Bottlerocket".
All of Anderson't films have been either touched by or completely genius. The only flaw I see in his films is that he abandons the smaller actors and goes for bigger and bigger stars with each film. But seeing as how "The Royal Tenenbaums" has been my favorite of his so far, I can hardly even fault him for that. I mean come on, Gwyneth Paltrow, in a Lacoste dress...love it.
And the feeling I get from seeing the trailer to "Aquatic" is that it will be another bold move forward for Anderson.
justinAug 23, 2004 at 8:34PM
And the feeling I get from seeing the trailer to "Aquatic" is that it will be another bold move forward for Anderson.
i agree with this. bold, but good.
GeeAug 24, 2004 at 3:27PM
Heh, I have to admit that the pun aspect of the phrase "jump the shark" did not even occur to me. Clearly, I have a few issues with the subtext of the "jump the shark" meme.
W/r/t Wes Anderson, I like him in the same way that I like P.T. Anderson, T. Waits, D.F Wallace, or the FLCL series: I find them unabashedly self-indulgent, and I just happen to grok that flavor of indulgence. (On the other hand the similarly-semi-solipsistic indulgences of D. Eggers, D. Sedaris or T. Amos just don't turn my head.)
Jesse HatcherOct 15, 2004 at 6:02PM
Wes Anderson continues to gain popularity and exceptence into the mainstream, but I hope this doesn't causehim to change his distinct movie making style. Bottle Rocket is my favorite movie of his and was also done on the smallest budget, as well as filmed entirely on a 30 mm lense. Owen Wilson and Wes make a great pair. I don't know Marc can say that Owen madea cameo appearance in Royal Tenenbaums. The two have been friends since college and co wrote Bottle Rocketand Royal Tenenbaums. I am expecting great things from this movie and others in the future. I salute Owen and Wes.
This thread is closed to new comments. Thanks to everyone who responded.