Rating of
2.5/4
"The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou" by Yojimbo
Yojimbo - wrote on 04/16/12
Bill Murray resurrects Dr. Peter Venkman for this portrait of a self absorbed and incompetent yet likeable scientist as we join him on a subaquatic trip to hunt down the shark that allegedly killed his friend, encountering various misfits and oddballs along the way. And oh so very quirky they are. I must say I really liked some of the visual touches and it made me laugh out loud on several occasions, but throughout the entire film my cynical side kept screaming in my ear "THERE'S NOTHING HERE! IT'S AN EMPTY, PLOTLESS EXERCISE IN QUIRKINESS FOR IT'S OWN SAKE!!!". And I could see it's point. But the fact is, Bill Murray was in his element and it's impossible not to feel it's infectious cheeriness even though Murray was, despite the extremely impressive ensemble cast, the only particularly interesting character on show. Superficial, yes, but also a very likeable example of style over substance.
