The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou
Movie, 2004, The 2000s, Set in The Belafonte
The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou is #4 of 13 in release order and #4 of 13 in chronological order in the Wes Anderson.
The story
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.
The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou recap
The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004) follows a fading oceanographer who sets out to film and kill the jaguar shark that ate his partner. Steve Zissou (Bill Murray) has not had a hit documentary in nine years when the creature eats his friend Esteban. A Kentucky airline pilot, Ned Plimpton (Owen Wilson), turns up believing Zissou is his father and funds the voyage with his inheritance. Aboard the aging ship Belafonte are Zissou's estranged wife Eleanor (Anjelica Huston), his jealous first mate Klaus Daimler (Willem Dafoe), and a crew of unpaid interns, joined by a pregnant journalist, Jane Winslett-Richardson (Cate Blanchett), whom Ned and Zissou both court. The crew steals equipment from Zissou's rival Alistair Hennessey (Jeff Goldblum) and is boarded by pirates. Wes Anderson directs and co-wrote with Noah Baumbach. His fourth feature, it follows The Royal Tenenbaums.
The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou ending explained
The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou ends with Zissou finding the jaguar shark and choosing not to kill it. Before that, he leads a rescue of the kidnapped bond man and Hennessey from the pirates, and Ned dies after their helicopter crashes during a last search; Eleanor has already told Jane that Zissou is sterile. In a submarine with the whole crew, Zissou watches the shark glide past and wonders if it remembers him. The finished documentary premieres dedicated to Ned, named as his son, and Zissou receives a standing ovation outside the theater.
Post-credits scenes
No. The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou has no mid- or post-credits scene.
Where to watch The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou
The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou isn't on a US streaming service right now. You can rent or buy it on Amazon, Apple TV, and Google Play.
Ratings
IMDb 7.2/10, Rotten Tomatoes 73%
Where it fits
- Release order: after The Royal Tenenbaums, before The Darjeeling Limited.
- Chronological order: after The Royal Tenenbaums, before The Darjeeling Limited.
Cast
- Bill Murray as Steve Zissou
- Owen Wilson as Ned Plimpton
- Cate Blanchett as Jane Winslett-Richardson
- Anjelica Huston as Eleanor Zissou
- Willem Dafoe as Klaus Daimler
- Jeff Goldblum as Alistair Hennessey
- Michael Gambon as Oseary Drakoulias
- Noah Taylor as Vladimir Wolodarsky
- Bud Cort as Bill Ubell
- Seu Jorge as Pelé dos Santos
- Robyn Cohen as Anne-Marie Sakowitz
- Waris Ahluwalia as Vikram Ray
Directed by Wes Anderson.